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SHIPS  BY  DAY 


A   NOVEi 


77 


BY 

FDWIN  A.  WYMAN,  PH.D.,  D.D. 

AUTHOR  OF    "   ACQUAINTANCE  WITH  GOU,"  ETC. 


WITH  ILLUSTRA  TIONS 


BOSTON 

JAMES   H.  EARLE,  PUBLISHER 

178  WASHINGTON  STREI.T 
1806 


Ps    : 
33(0! 


COPYRIGHT,  1895, 
BY  JAMES  H.  EARLE. 


All  rights  reserved. 


Press  of  J.  J.  Arakelyan, 
295   Congress   Street,    Boston. 


TO   THE    MEMORY 
OF    MY    VERY    DEAR    FRIEND 

6wgt>  (g.   ptarshaU, 

TRUE   TO    THE    HEART'S    CORE     IN"    FRIENDSHIP 

AND    IN'    THE    INTEGRITY    WITH    WHICH 

HE    TROD   THE    PATHS    OF    BUSINESS, 

AND,    AMONG    THE    LIVING, 
"HOUGH    WITHOUT    HIS    KNOWLEDGE    OR    CONSENT,    TO 

Bon.  $.  £.  €onvtw, 

MALDEN'S  FIRST  MAYOR  AND  FIRST  CITIZEN, 

WHOSE  LIBERALITY  OF  MIND 
AND  HEART  MERIT  ADMIRATION  AND  ESTEEM, 

THIS  VOLUME  IS 
LOVINGLY  DEDICATED. 


PREFACE. 


DELIEVING  the  book  entitled  "  Ships  That  Pass  In 
*-*  the  Night,"  though  containing  many  good  things, 
is  calculated  to  do  harm,  offering,  as  it  does,  nothing 
better  than  a  mere  guess  for  a  dying  pillow,  I  have 
written  the  present  volume  with  the  hope,  among  other 
things,  that  the  reader  may  not  only  be  entertained  by 
the  story,  but  finish  its  pages  \vith  the  conviction  that 
immortality  is  something  more  than  a  guess,  and  that 
the  human  ship,  instead  of  sailing  in  the  "  night,"  has 
before  it,  in  spite  of  occasional  clouds  and  uncertainties, 
an  open  sea  and  the  clear  light  of  day. 

Aside  from  the  fact  that  another  life  is  essential  to 
supplement  and  give  meaning  to  this,  no  one  can  rise 
from  the  death-bed  scene  of  Ur.  Elentwood,  which  was 
an  actual  occurrence,  and  still  doubt  existence  beyond 
the  grave. 

It  is  the  belief  of  the  author  that  the  following  pages 
contain  the  germs  of  reform  greatly  needed,  and  that 
must  come  sooner  or  later.  Though  the  story  may 
seem  to  border  on  the  sensational,  the  great  underly 
ing  purpose  has  been  to  touch  the  springs  of  amend 
ment  in  certain  lines  of  thought  and  life. 

EDWIN  A.  WYMAN 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PACK 

I.  Afloat 7 

II.   Rescued 13 

III.  Dr.  Eightheart  and  Tot 22 

IV.  Breakfast  with  the  Family 28 

V.  Ethel  Blentwood 39 

VI.  A  Walk  with  Ethel 48 

VII.  Overtaken  bv  I>   Blentwood 60 

VIII.  A  Surprise 65 

IX.   An  Outdoor  Dinner 72 

X.  A  Philosophical  Dialogue 87 

XI.   A  Xegro  Wedding 113 

XII.   A  Stroll  by  the  River 1 19 

XIII.  A  Serpent  Enters  my  Garden 127 

XIV.  A  Plantation  Dance i  34 

XV.  A  Soiree  and  Monologue 138 

XVI.   Morning  of  Departure 142 

XVII.  Charley  Lightheart  takes  the  Helm 150 

XVIII.   An  Involuntary  Bath 158 

XIX.  After-Dinner  Exercise 165 

XX.  A  Narrow  Escape 175 

XXI.  A  Ghostly  Ride 185 

XXII.   A  Brisk  Morning  Sail 196 

XXIII.  Dinner  with  Delightful  Strangers 210 

XXIV.  Two  Jolly  Fellows  in  a  Boat 219 

XXV.  An  Ugly   Visitor 233 

XXV  I.   Dinner  with  the  Thorntons 237 

XXVII.   In  the  Thornton  Summer-! louse 248 

XXVIII.  The  Dying  Tramp 259 

XXIX.   In  the  Thornton  Parlors 270 

XXX.  Theodocia  Thornton  and  Myself 281 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXXI.  Carrie  Horton  and  Charley 302 

XXXII.  Breakfast 304 

XXXIII.  A  Tearful  Farewell 317 

XXXIV.  Love  and  Philosophy 322 

XXXV.  The  Stone  Wall 329 

XXXVI.   Charley  is  Recognized 336 

XXXVII.  The  Williamsburg  Flood 346 

XXXVIII.  At  Church 361 

XXXIX,  Stockmire  has  Designs 366 

XL.  Annual  Church  Meeting 374 

XLI.  Railroad  Accident  and  Dilemma 382 

XLII.  "  Bloody  Nigger  " 394 

XLIII.  A  Supposed  Engagement 309 

XLIV.  Charley  and  1 400 

XLV.  Theo  Imparts  a  Secret 417 

XLVI.   A  Real  Engagement 426 

XL VI I.  Preparatory 437 

XLVIII.  Weddings  and  Reunions. ,    ....  447 


SHIPS   BY   DAY. 


CHAPTER  I. 

AP^LOAT. 

\  HAD  long  pondered  the  question  how  to 
spend  a  vacation  so  as  to  get  the  most  recre 
ation  and  consequent  profit  out  of  it.  I  at  length 
decided  to  take  a  leisurely  trip  clown  the  Connec 
ticut  River  with  no  companion  to  entertain  me 
or  to  be  entertained  by  me.  Having  purchased 
a  light  sail-boat  and  stored  it  with  provisions,  I 
pushed  from  the  shore  of  what  we  will  call  Rock- 
town  one  beautiful  day  in  June,  full  of  the  glow 
of  bright  anticipations  and  with  a  sense  of 
freedom  which  made  me  hilarious  and  glad  to  my 
fingers'  ends. 

My  mind  was  preternaturally  active — in  a  sort 
of  poetic  fren/y — from  overwork.  In  short,  my 
physician  had  told  me  I  had  reached  the  incipient 
limit  of  nervous  prostration,  and  that  very  morn 
ing  had  repeated  with  solemn  emphasis,  "  You 
must  throw  up  all  care  at  once  and  let  your  mind 
run  fallow  or  you  will  break  down  utterly."  I  was 
in  that  peculiar  state  of  mental  fervor  and  bodily 

7 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


exhaustion  which  will  explain  the  very  strange 
experience  through  which  I  was  so  soon  to  pass. 

"Isn't  this  jolly?"  said  I,  half  to  myself  and 
half  to  my  shadow,  which  nodded  to  me  from  the 
rippling  water  as  I  sat  in  the  stern  of  the  boat  and 
glided  out  into  the  current.  "  No  more  writing  or 
teaching  for  the  present,  no  anxieties  about  any 
body,  no  one  to  look  after  but  myself !  Oh  !  it 
is  glorious  to  be  free  upon  occasion,  indifferent  to 
the  world,  and  careless  of  everything  except  to 
sip  the  dew  of  pleasure  from  the  proffered  cup 
of  the  present. 

"Civilization  indeed!  Poor  fools!  let  them 
breathe  hot  steam  and  dust,  and  elbow  their  way 
through  an  overcrowded  business,  and  then  die 
in  as  great  a  hurry  as  they  lived,  with  the  un 
answered  question  on  their  tongues  or  in  their 
hearts,  What  of  it  all  ? 

"  There  is  some  education  in  such  a  life  ;  but 
beyond  that  there  is  no  significance  in  it.  Slaves 
of  an  unmeaning  care !  I  leave  you  to  your  un 
necessary  burdens.  I'll  none  of  it,  at  least  for 
the  present!  I  am  free  !  Hurrah!  Good  boat, 
it  is  you  and  I  emancipated  together  from  the 
thralldom  of  civilized  folly  !  Soul,  till  now  care 
ful  and  troubled  about  many  things,  you  have 
nothing  to  do  but  to  drink  in  the  beautiful  pros 
pect,  the  pleasant  sunshine,  the  present  joy." 

The  sun  shone  brightly  on  woods,  field  and 
river,  flooding  all  my  sensibilities  and  making  me 
in  love  with  life.  This  and  the  added  sense  of 
freedom  from  all  care  filled  me  with  the  very 


AFLOAT.  9 

luxury  of  satisfaction.  I  did  not  look  to  past  or 
future;  I  was  resting,  and  that  was  enough.  I 
stretched  myself  back  against  the  stern  in  a  half- 
reclining  posture.  Shading  my  eyes  with  my  hat 
and  letting  my  boat  sail  itself,  I  gave  myself  up 
to  all  the  sweetness  I  could  extract  from  sight 
and  sound  and  easy  reflection.  Houses  along 
the  shores  appeared  and  disappeared  ;  beautiful 
forests  with  opening  glades  and  glens  came  and 
went ;  merry  voices  of  children  and  sweet  songs 
of  birds  gladdened  the  ear  and  then  died  away  ; 
new  scenes,  no  two  alike,  constantly  coming  and 
constantly  going,  and  still  I  rested  and  glided  on, 
unmindful  of  time  and  of  everything  else  except 
the  present.  Oh,  how  I  enjoyed  that  sail!  Like 
a  tired  child  in  the  lap  of  a  loved  mother,  I  was 
contented  to  lie  still  and  rest,  taking  in  with  sweet 
satisfaction  whatever  came  to  me  through  the 
senses  without  effort.  I  was  happy.  I  wanted 
nothing.  Hours  passed.  The  vertical  sun  told 
of  noon,  but  I  hungered  not.  At  last,  I  lost  con 
sciousness  and  fell  asleep.  How  long  I  slept  I 
know  not. 

Sometime  that  or  the  next  day,  however,  I  was 
aroused  by  a  sudden  lurch  of  my  boat  which 
nearly  sent  me  overboard,  and  the  first  thing  I 
saw  was  a  small  white  hand  on  the  side  of  the 
boat  and  a  beautiful  face  earnestly  gazing  into 
mine.  I  had  fallen  asleep  full  of  sweet  visions, 
and  was  too  much  at  peace  with  all  the  world  to 
be  easily  startled  or  afraid,  and  I  looked  at  this 
sudden  and  unexpected  appearance  with  simple 


I0  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


curiosity,  wondering  what  it  could  mean,  but  with 
no  effort  to  rise.  I  had  left  home  resolved  not  to 
let  anything  disturb  me,  and  I  was  so  happy,  so 
satisfied  with  my  new-found  freedom,  that  scarcely 
a  cannon's  ball  whizzing  near  my  head,  would 
have  made  me  at  all  anxious. 

The  face  was  very  attractive,  and  the  longer  I 
gazed  the  more  I  saw  in  it  of  a  deeper  beauty 
and  a  tenderer  pathos,  such  as  belongs  only  to  a 
soul  richly  endowed  with  the  purest  and  noblest 
feeling.  The  vision,  therefore,  was  pleasant.  One 
more  added  to  the  many  with  which  I  was  filled, 
and  I  began  to  hope  that  it  would  not  disappear 
as  suddenly  as  it  came.  I  thought  of  the  old  say 
ing,  "  If  you  speak  to  a  ghost  it  will  vanish,"  and 
so,  proving  the  force  of  early  impressions,  I  said 
nothing.  I  had  for  years  wished  I  might  com 
municate  with  a  real  ghost  and  learn  something 
more  definite  of  the  spirit  land,  and  I  longed  to 
speak,  but  rationalism  came  to  my  rescue  and  I 
said  within  myself : 

"This  is  all  imagination,  of  course.  A  snag 
tipped  my  boat  and  one  of  the  angel  thoughts  of 
my  dream  stood  out  embodied  before  me,  and  I 
am  holding  the  vision  of  it — that  is  all !  It  is 
only  in  our  dreams  that  the  angels  on  Jacob's 
ladder  descend  to  us  from  heaven.  When  we 
awake  the  angels  become  mortals  or  vanish. 

"  How  sweet  it  would  be  to  go  out  of  the  world 
in  a  dream,  having  heavenly  society  to  start 
with!  But  how  real  that  face  is!  It  is  as  if  an 
angel  were  about  to  disclose  wondrous  things. 


AFLOAT,  II 

The  Bible  speaks  of  such  messengers  appearing 
to  men  of  old  and  why  not  to  me  ?  The  old 
prophets  could  not  have  longed  more  for  direct 
heavenly  instruction  than  I,  and,  oh  !  if  this 
silence  could  be  broken  but  for  a  moment,  what 
joy — what  relief  to  a  troubled,  doubting  world  ! 

"  But  if  this  were  a  heavenly  visitant  it  would 
not  have  appeared  to  me  submerged  all  but  head 
and  shoulders  under  water.  And  again,  \vould  a 
messenger  from  the  spirit  world  look  so  exactly 
like  flesh  and  blood  ?  Possibly.  But  she  has  a 
modern  dress  and  tiny  ear-ring  and  diamond  pin  ! 
I  must  give  up  the  angel  theory.  But  what  is  it  ? 
Not  a  believer  in  nymphs,  it  must  be  an  optical 
illusion  or  a  real,  terrestrial,  bona  fide  girl.  Of 
course  it  is  not  a  spirit,  glad  as  I  should  be  to  see 
one ;  for,  though  there  are  reasons  why  God 
should  satisfy  my  longings  for  information,  there 
are  others  why  He  should  not  break  the  silence 
of  ages. 

"  But  the  idea  of  this  being  a  girl  is  preposterous. 
First,  because  swimming  girls  are  not  common. 
Second,  where  could  she  come  from  in  this  wild 
region?  for  not  a  house  is  to  be  seen.  Third, 
what  motive  could  bring  her  through  the  water 
to  my  side  and  in  so  rich  a  dress?  It  is  no  girl — 
that's  settled.  By  rcdnctio  ad  absurdtim,  I  prove 
it. 

"  How  glorious  is  reason  !  But  the  image  is 
still  there !  Like  Banquo's  ghost,  it  will  not 
down,  reason  or  no  reason  !  The  sense  of  sight 
says,  that  is  a  girl ;  reason  says  it  is  not. 


12  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Evidently  I  must  employ  another  sense  as  a 
corrective." 

I  felt  a  pride  in  settling  such  questions  by 
reason  alone  ;  but  at  length  I  opened  my  half- 
closed  eyes  and  raised  my  head  toward  the  vision, 
when,  to  my  utter  astonishment,  the  face  bright 
ened  with  a  look  of  relief  as  she  cried  : 

"  Make  for  the  shore  or  you  will  be  over  the 
rapids !  " 


CHAPTER  II. 

RESCUED. 

\\  7TTH  these  hurried  words  ringing  in  my  ears  I 
sat  up,  still  only  half  conscious  from  so  long 
a  sleep  and  the  reaction  of  an  overtaxed  brain  and 
worn-out  nerves.  It  was  twilight,  fast  deepening 
into  shade.  I  was  confused.  An  overwhelming 
sense  of  languor  came  over  me  and  I  sank  back 
into  my  old  place  with  only  one  wish  in  my  heart 
of  all  the  world,  and  that  was  rest  ! 

"  Oh,  how  sweet  is  rest  ! "  I  muttered  half 
audibly.  A  splash  in  the  water  and  a  sudden 
turn  of  my  boat  caused  me  again  to  assume  the 
erect  posture  and  to  make  a  great  effort  to  collect 
myself.  I  looked  for  the  vision.  It  was  gone  ! 
I  could  see  nothing  but  water  and  woods,  and 
heard  no  sound  save  the  rippling  waves  pattering 
monotonously  against  the  bow  of  my  boat,  which 
in  turn  gave  an  occasional  nod  as  if  in  recognition 
of  the  gentle  caress.  I  will  solve  this  riddle  in 
the  morning,  said  I  to  myself,  and  lay  down,  feel 
ing  thankful  I  could  now  enjoy  much-needed 
repose. 

The  gentle  god  of  sleep  only  waited  this  oppor 
tunity  to  woo  and  bear  me  away  to  the  land  of 
sweet  forgetfulncss.  Never  was  a  visitor  more 


I4  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


welcome.  With  a  grateful  Jheart  I  felt  his  touch 
upon  my  limbs,  upon  my  brow,  upon  my  eyes, 
and  quickly  yielding  up  the  self-directing  will,  I 
floated  off  into  lovely  dreamland  with  angelic 
companionship,  over  verdant  hills  and  sweet 
valleys,  and,  just  as  I  was  softly — oh,  so  softly  ! — 
sinking  down,  down,  down,  into  utter  and  blessed 
obliviousness,  I  awoke  with  a  choking  sensation 
and  with  my  head  partially  under  water.  The 
shock  roused  my  memory  and  my  first  thought 
was  of  the  rapids.  I  soon  discovered,  however, 
that  I  was  still  in  the  boat  with  the  bow  high  and 
dry  on  a  steep  bank  of  the  river,  while  the  stern 
was  so  low  as  to  bring  it  for  a  moment  under 
water. 

I  had  evidently  just  been  placed  in  that  posi 
tion,  for  some  one  was  still  tugging  at  the  bow. 
I  raised  my  head,  wet  and  dripping,  and  stared 
about.  I  tried  to  rise,  but  found  myself  too  weak 
to  do  so.  I  tried  to  assure  myself  of  my  identity, 
but  could  not  trace  all  the  incidents  connecting 
me  with  the  morning.  Perhaps  I  am  drowned,  I 
thought.  Unable  to  take  in  the  situation,  all  I 
could  do  was  to  awrait  developments.  Presently 
my  angelic  visitant  approached.  Neither  of  us 
spoke  till  her  face  was  near  enough  to  be  quite 
distinctly  seen.  It  was  very  beautiful,  lit  up  with 
such  a  happy  commingling  of  benevolence,  strength 
and  loveliness  as  to  disarm  all  fear ;  and  when  she 
spoke  her  voice  and  words  were  in  harmony  with 
what  her  face  prognosticated. 

"  You  must  be  very  ill,"  she  said,  in  a  tone  so 


K ESC 'JED.  15 

tender  and  so  full  of  solicitude  as  to  win  my  con 
fidence  at  once. 

"  Beautiful  being,"  said  I,  "  are  you  mortal  or 
immortal  ?  " 

"  Both,"  she  replied,  after  some  hesitation,  and 
then  added  with  a  smile,  "  We  all  live  in  two 
worlds,  I  suppose." 

"In  two  worlds!"  I  repeated.  "I,  indeed, 
seem  to  be  on  the  border  between  a  new  past  and 
a  new  future,  and  not  exactly  in  either.  Have 
you  come  to  take  me  to  heaven?" 

She  again  smiled  and  slowly  answered,  "  I  am 
here  to  see  that  you  are  taken  to  a  place  of 
rest." 

"  Rest,"  I  echoed  ;  "  mine  cars  attend  the  sound. 
There  is  no  sweeter  word,  good  being.  When 
shall  this  rest  be  mine  ?  " 

"  Now,"  she  replied.  "  Can  you  walk?  Let 
me  assist  you,"  and  taking  me  by  the  arm  I  was 
soon  on  my  feet,  and  with  great  effort  took  two 
or  three  steps  and  then  fell.  Looking  up  into  her 
sweet  face  and  seeing  there  a  tear  of  sympathy,  I 
said  : 

"  You  have  no  wings  for  me,  but  I  thank  you 
all  the  same.  I  think  my  old  body  still  clings  to 
me.  Let  me  lie  here  a  minute  and  by  that  time 
it  may  be  dead  enough  for  me  to  get  out  of  it. 
It  didn't  quite  drown,  did  it  ?  " 

Without  replying  to  my  question,  she  hurriedly 
left  me,  saying,  "  I'll  be  back  in  a  few  minutes." 

"  Gone  to  give  me  time  to  reflect,"  I  mused. 
"  It  is  well,  perhaps,  that  the  change  from  earth 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  heaven  be  not  too  sudden.  It  might  stun  and 
dazzle  these  unaccustomed  eyes,  and  quite  con 
found  these  weak  faculties  and  powers,  before 
they  could  adjust  themselves  to  their  new  rela 
tions.  I  am  content.  Had  I  been  better  and 
nobler,  I  wonder  wherein  my  exit  would  have 
been  different.  I  feel  no  pain,  and  Hope,  beautiful 
and  full-orbed,  shines  over  me,  and  seems  to 
beckon  me  on.  I  begin  to  thrill  with  the  glorious 
knowledge  into  which  I  am  about  to  enter.  Old 
body,  I  once  loved  thee,  but  the  sooner  now  we 
are  divorced  the  better.  I  desire  thee  no  longer. 
Thou  dost  but  encumber,  enslave  and  chain  me 
down.  Let  me  go,  and  I  will  be  so  light ! — so 
free  !  I  will  ascend,  up,  up,  from  the  circumfer 
ence  to  the  very  centre  of  knowledge  !  "  Fly  swift 
around,  ye  wheels  of  time  " — At  this  moment  a 
dark  figure  approached  and  stood  over  me.  I 
looked  up  and  at  length  said,  "  I  Once  thought 
you  ugly,  but  you  are  now  most  welcome." 

"  I  nebber  harms  nobody,"  said  the  figure. 

"  True,"  I  replied,  "  death  is  not  a  harm. 
Thousands  suffer  because  they  cannot  die.  To 
the  soul  prepared  death  does  but  open  the  door 
to  greater  progress.  Have  you  come  to  help  me 
shufHe  off  this  mortal  coil  ?  " 

"  Be  Model  Koll  de  name  ob  your  boat  ?  I  is 
not  here  to  shuffle  off  with  dat,  sah.  I  is  here  to 
tote  ye  to  de  house." 

"  The  house  not  made  with  hands?  Do  you 
live  there  ?  I  forget,  you  cannot  enter  there." 

"  I  does  enter  dere,  for  Doctor  and  Miss  Blent- 


RESCUED.  17 

wood  hab  us  in  de  dinin'-room  cbery  mornin'  to 
hear  de  Scriptur'  and  de  prayer." 

"  Then  your  name  is  not  Death?" 

"  Lord  !  no,  sah.  You  look  like  you  could 
take  dat  name  better'n  dis  yere  nigger.  My 
name  Tom." 

"  Is  it  simply  Tom?" 

"  No,  not  Simple  Tom  ;  jes'  Tom — dat's  all." 

"  I  mean,  is  that  all  your  name  ?  " 

"  All  mine,  boss,  'ccpt  what  de  ole  woman 
owns.  Dey  all  call  her  Tot,  cos  she  so  big  one 
way  as  tudder  !  " 

"  Have  you  no  other  name  ?  " 

"  No  udder  legally  detachin'  to  me." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here?" 

"  Nigh  on  to  seberal  year,  massa.  I  came  wid 
Miss  Ethel  after  de  doctor  came,  and  was  mighty 
tickled  to  be  tuck  along,  too." 

"  Ah  !  I  see.  You  came  over  the  dark  river 
together." 

"  'Tain't  the  fust  time  we  cross  de  ribber." 

"  Then  you  have  died  the  second  death.  Is 
that  why  you  are  so  black  ?  " 

"  I  is  jes'  as  de  Lord  made  me,  sah,  and  I 
hain't  died  no  second  def,  nor  de  fust  one 
nudder." 

"  I  spoke  unadvisedly  the  dull  phrase  of  earth. 
It  is  true  you  did  not  die  ;  only  the  body  can  die. 
But  will  you  not  be  made  white  as  wool?  " 

"  'Spect  de  Lord  like  black  well  as  white. 
Folks  am  whitest  when  dey  faint,  but  spect 
we'll  all  be  well  forebber  when  we  put  on  cle 


1 8  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


high  glory  ob  de  Lord.  Here  come  Tot. 
Massa  Blentwood  got  home,  Tot  ?  " 

"  No,  Tom,  and  Miss  Ethel  so  anxious.  She 
say,  '  Tot,  you  can  help  Tom  better'n  I,  and  I'll 
get  things  ready.'  So  I  run  all  de  way  here. 
Hole  out  yer  arms,  Tom,  wid  dis  cushion  on, 
while  I  place  him  into  'em.  Dar  now,  tote  him 
easy,  and  when  ye  get  tired  jes*  gib  him  to  me. 
Is  you  comfable,  sah?  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  kind  friends,  you  have  made  my  bed 
soft  as  downy  pillows  are." 

"  Tank  ye,  sah ;  dat'll  please  missus  to  know 
we  does  it  comfable  for  ye.  De  wust  is  going  up 
dis  yere  bank,  but  nebber  you  fear,  sah,  dese  yere 
arms  nebber  fail  when  on  dooty,  sah,  special  for 
missus." 

"  Are  you  taking  me  to  the  Celestial  City  ?  " 

"  We  be  takin'  you  to  de  house  where  de  bright 
lady  lib  what  took  ye  from  the  drownin'  ribber. 
You'll  be  well  took  keer  of,  sah  ;  missus  am  a 
angel,  sure." 

"  Shall  I  see  that  beautiful  being  again  and 
talk  with  her?  " 

"  Sartin,  for  sure ;  we's  takin'  you  dar  by  her 
'spress  commands.  We  be  her  mos'  willin'  sar- 
vants,  sah." 

"  Servants?  I  thought  heaven  a  Democratic 
land." 

"  It  mount  be,  sah.  Heap  'Publicans  roun' 
here.  Right  smart  chance  of  'em  change  on 
tudder  side,  but  power  of  'em  coming  back." 

"  Are  you  permitted  to  stand  in  the  presence 


RESCUED. 


of  the  highest  company  and  drink  with  them  at 
the  same  fountain?  " 

"  We  eats  in  de  kitchen,  sah  ;  in  de  hell." 

"  Are,  then,  heaven  and  hell  so  near?  and  do 
the  wicked  serve  the  just  ?  " 

"  Oh,  lors,  massa,  I  dunno.  I  warn't  talkin' 
'bout  de  fiery  brimster  hell.  I  mean  de  hell  ob 
de  house." 

"  Are  you  happy,  good  servants  ?  " 

"  Why  shoon  we  ?  We  sarve  a  good  man  and 
a  angel  and  wants  nufifin.  I  works  out,  too,  when 
I  please.  Why  shoon  we  be  'appy  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  I  see.  Yours  is  a  kind  of  paradise  next 
to  heaven,  almost  heaven,  not  quite  heaven,  and 
yet  heaven  after  all." 

"  Dat's  it,  sah.  You  hit  our  fix  on  de  cocoa- 
nut  perzakly.  Ef  heaven  mean  'nuff,  den  to  all 
'tents  and  parpuses  we  lib  in  dat  same  place 
sure." 

During  all  this  conversation  I  had  been  borne 
along  at  a  rapid  pace  for  negro  feet,  and  had  been 
transferred  several  times  from  one  pair  of  arms  to 
the  other ;  but  each  change  had  been  made  so 
deftly  that  I  scarcely  knew  it.  Indeed,  had  I  been 
carried  less  carefully,  my  mind  was  too  active  to 
feel  bodily  pain.  I  was  in  that  peculiar  and  happy 
state  of  incipient  brain-fever  which,  aided  by  cir 
cumstances,  produced  and  kept  up  the  delusion 
that  I  had  passed  or  was  passing  out  of  the  earthly 
life  and  entering  upon  the  sublime  surprises  of 
another  state.  Everything  I  saw  or  heard,  com 
ing  to  me  through  the  alembic  of  a  glowing  imagi- 


20  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


nation,  was  transformed  and  transfigured.  There 
was  nothing  in  my  condition  akin  to  insanity ; 
for  my  mind  was  clear  as  crystal  and  my  reason 
ing  faculties  unimpaired.  It  was  simply  a  state 
of  exaltation  of  mind  over  body.  Thought  seemed 
unconfined  and  to  range  at  will,  and  though  I 
seemed 

"  Exiled  from  earth  and  not  yet  winged  for  heaven, 
Like  the  edges  of  a  sunset  cloud 
The  beatific  land  before  me  lay." 

I  was  in  an  elysium  of  mingled  sweet  content 
and  sweet  expectancy. 

At  length,  after  some  silence,  and  just  as  we 
were  entering  under  the  shadow  of  a  very  high 
wall,  which  seemed  to  cross  our  path  at  right 
angles,  I  said,  "  Ah  !  the  outer  wall  of  the  New 
Jerusalem.  Will  any  one  be  waiting  and  watch 
ing  for  me  at  the  gate  ?  " 

I  had  hardly  got  the  words  out  of  my  mouth 
when  I  felt  myself  turning  short  to  the  left  and 
descending  into  the  earth  and  into  total  darkness. 

"  Purgatory  !  "  I  murmured,  shrinking  back. 
"  I  never  believed  in  it.  Is  there  no  other  way?" 

"  No  udder  way,"  replied  Tom,  "  on  dis  yere 
side." 

I  strained  my  eyes  to  take  in  the  situation,  but 
could  see  nothing,  not  even  those  who  bore  me. 
I  was  being  carried  very  cautiously  and  at  a  much 
slackened  pace,  and  more  and  more  unsteadily, 
when,  with  a  suppressed  groan  from  Tom,  burden 
and  burden-bearer  sank  down  together.  The  new 


RESCUED. 


motion  had  hardly  ceased  when  I  was  comfortably 
resting  in  Tom's  lap. 

"  Yer  needs  rest,  sah,  jes'  a  min't,  sah,"  said 
hard-breathing  and  self-forgetting  Tom. 

"  Will  it  last  long  ? "  I  asked.  Either  in  an 
swer  to  my  question  or  to  encourage  their  own 
weary  selves,  as  well  as  me,  the  two  faithful  serv 
ants  commenced  to  sing,  very  softly  at  first, 
scarcely  above  a  whisper,  but  with  increasing 
melody  and  soothing  effect.  Among  others  most 
frequently  repeated  were  the  following  lines : 

We's  mos'  dar !  we's  mos'  dar ! 

Doan'  you  see  dat  light  shinin'  froo  deepen  do' 

Cheerily  vitin'  us  come  ? 

Doan'  you  see  dat  hand  beck'nin'  from  de  lower  step  ? 

Oh  !  we's  mos'  welcome  sure. 

And  we's  comin',  comin',  comin',  yes',  we's  comin', 

And  now  we's  almos'  dar." 

During  all  this  song,  which  fell  on  my  ears  like 
a  charm,  the  hand  of  Tot  was  passing  to  and  fro 
across  my  temples  and  through  my  hair.  My 
fevered  and  over-active  brain  grew  quiet.  I  felt 
my  nerves  relaxing  and  the  will  letting  go  its  hold 
on  the  mind  ;  my  thoughts,  unhelmed,  drifted  out 
upon  a  calm  sea;  past  and  present  were  alike  for 
gotten  ;  and  so,  in  the  arms  of  strange  but  trusted 
servants,  at  the  bottom  of  a  subterranean  passage, 
in  utter  darkness  and  helplessness,  I  rested  from 
all  care,  from  all  responsibility.  That  is  the  last 
I  can  remember  of  that  day's  history.  Oh,  blessed 
sleep  !  "tired  nature's  sweet  restorer." 


CHAPTER  III. 

DR.    LIGHTHEART   AND   TOT. 

TT  was  late  in  the  afternoon  of  the  next  day 
before  I  awoke,  and  my  awaking  was  almost 
like  a  resurrection  from  the  dead.  I  had  never 
before  been  so  far  down  into  the  depths  of  utter 
unconsciousness.  The  past  was  for  the  moment 
shut  out  from  my  memory.  I  had  not  gone  so  far 
out  of  myself  as  to  lose  my  individuality,  but  still 
far  enough  to  lose  consciousness  of  my  identity. 
My  first  thought,  therefore,  was  not,  I  am  some 
body,  but,  Who  am  I  ?  I  am  some  one  in  good  cir 
cumstances,  I  thought,  as  I  hastily  glanced  at  my 
surroundings. 

I  was  in  a  luxurious  bed  and  a  richly-furnished 
room.  I  arose,  and,  having  turned  the  faucets, 
was  watching  the  hot  and  cold  streams,  as  they 
mingled  together  in  the  marble  basin,  while  my 
thoughts  went  off  analogically  to  the  warm  and 
cold  currents  circling  through  nature  and  through 
human  hearts,  tempering  extremes  and  making 
the  earth  habitable  and  life  attractive. 

"  Well,"  I  mused,  "  there  are  no  disagreeable  cur 
rents  in  this  room,  a  fact  which  concerns  me  now 
more  than  abstract  questions.  How  beautiful 
and  cozy  everything  is !  not  a  social  icicle  any- 


DR.  LIGH  THE  A  K  T  A  ND   TOT.  23 

where.  There  is  warmth  and  welcome  from  floor 
to  ceiling.  Everything  is  orderly,  still  not  the 
smallest  thing  says,  in  its  stiffness,  Don't  touch 
me,  but  rather,  Enjoy  me  as  you  like.  The  car 
pet,  the  paper,  the  bed  and  canopy  over  it,  the 
curtains,  the  pictures,  the  little  ornaments,  all 
harmonize  beautifully- — unity  in  variety.  There 
is  an  air  of  cheerfulness,  contentment  and  so 
ciability  here,  which  gives  me  a  free-and-easy, 
homelike  feeling.  Wonder  if  I  shall  find  the 
owner  as  pleasing?  If  this  is  not  borrowed  taste, 
hers  ought  to  be  a  harmonious  and  lovely  char 
acter." 

At  this  point  of  my  soliloquy  there  was  a 
knock,  and,  before  I  could  decide  what  to  do  with 
myself,  the  door  opened  and  a  man  of  medium 
height,  dark  whiskers  and  hair  well  sprinkled  with 
gray,  and  a  very  benevolent  countenance,  stood 
before  me.  After  a  searching  glance  at  me  he 
said,  "  Ah  !  excuse  me,  sir.  I  was  hastily  sum 
moned,  and  thought  your  need  might  be  urgent." 

"  You  are  a  physician,  I  presume,"  said  I. 
"  Please  walk  in.  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  though 
I  hope  I  am  not  in  need  of  medicine." 

"  Let  me  see  how  the  human  clock  is  keeping 
time,"  said  he,  placing  his  fingers  on  my  wrist. 
"A  good  time-piece,  but  a  much  abused  one,  sir. 
It  acts  tired  and  as  if  inclined  to  run  down.  The 
machinery  must  be  lubricated  or  it  will  stop.  I 
am  glad,  however,  to  find  everything  favorable.  I 
left  you  last  night  a  little  in  doubt.  The  danger  of 
settled  fever  is  over,  and  what  you  now  need  is  beef- 


24  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


steak  and  rest.  You  have  been  running  too  fast, 
and,  as  a  compensation,  the  dry  and  overheated 
wheels  must  move  slowly  till  oiled  from  nature's 
own  resources,  which  you  have  overdrawn.  Keep 
your  bed,  sir,  at  least  till  to-morrow  morning,  when 
I  will  call.  .  In  the  meantime  think  as  little  as 
possible,  and  sleep  all  you  can.  I  will  order 
breakfast  sent  up  to  you  as  I  go  out.  Good-day, 
sir." 

"  But,  doctor,"  said  I,  as  he  turned  to  leave,  "  I 
have  a  great  many  questions  to  ask." 

"  Not  now,"  he  replied  ;  and  then  reading  my 
thoughts  before  I  could  speak,  he  added,  "  Every 
thing  is  lovely.  You  are  in  hands  that  delight  to 
minister  to  the  wants  of  others.  In  fact  you  are 
as  near  a  local  heaven  as  is  possible  in  this  world. 
You  are  a  lucky  dog,  sir  ;  so  let  your  thoughts  lie 
down  with  you,  quiet  and  sweet  as  a  June  morn 
ing,  such  as  I  hope  to-morrow  will  be,  when  I  will 
give  you  a  longer  audience." 

I  stood  still,  looking  at  the  door  until  I  heard 
his  retreating  footsteps  on  the  stairs,  and  then, 
feeling  weak,  I  was  glad  to  obey  orders,  and 
crawled  back  into  bed.  Though  among  strangers, 
I  could  not  but  feel  peaceful  and  happy  ;  for  my 
surroundings  were  lovely,  and  the  coming  and 
going  of  the  doctor  had  only  heightened  the 
beauty  of  the  picture.  It  would  have  been  diffi 
cult  to  experience  an  unpleasant  emotion  in  that 
delightful  chamber,  and  I  felt  for  the  first  time 
how  important  to  the  sick  are  the  impressions 
made  by  room,  physician  and  nurse. 


'  I  SE    NO    GRAMMY  " page    2J. 


DR.LIGHTHEART  AND  TOT,  25 


"  I  am  welcome  and  not  merely  tolerated  here," 
I  said  to  myself;  "  for  the  hands  that  made  this 
room  speak  so  kindly  belong  to  a  heart  that 
loves  the  whole  world." 

Here  came  a  tap  at  my  door,  and,  at  my  bid 
ding,  in  walked  an  apple-dumpling  shaped-negress 
with  a  face  round  as  the  full  moon,  black  as 
coal,  and  so  wrapped  about  with  white  cloth  as 
to  suggest  the  idea  of  a  fly  in  a  pan  of  milk  ! 

"  1's  brung  up  you  dinner,  sah,"  said  she,  plac 
ing  it  on  a  stand  at  my  bedside. 

"  Yes,"  I  added,  "  and  a  dinner  fit  for  a  king, 
too.  I  thank  the  Lord  and  all  concerned  in 
getting  it  up.  What  a  delicious  steak  !  It  is  as 
soft  and  juicy  and  toothsome  as  the  most  dainty 
connoisseur  could  wish.  Did  you  cook  this  steak, 
grammy  ? 

"  Ebery  one  calls  me  Tot.  I's  no  grammy.  I 
got  jes'  one  chile  in  dis  ycre  born  world,  and 
he's  such  a  ripskeezach  sort  of  a  catamount,  I 
mighty  feared  he'll  nebber  make  ole  Tot  any 
mor'n  a  anxious  mudder.  If  he  grow  up  like  he 
be  now,  he  nebber  can  stop  long  nuff  tor  get 
married.  He'd  wanter  stan  on  'e  head  fore  dey 
got  froo  de  ceremony,  or  run  out  de  room  on 
he  han's  and  feet,  growlin'  and  snarlin'  like  wild 
cat.  Why,  at  de  funeral  ob  ole  Marmaduke, 
when  eberybody  were  cryin'  and  takin'  on,  and 
in  de  mos'  solemncolly  time,  just  as  de  min'ster, 
obercome  wid  streamin'  tears,  brought  he  fist 
kerwhack  on  de  desk,  Pomp  jump  right  into  de 
floor,  and  scampered  out  blartin'  like  scared  calf." 


26  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 

"  Well,  Tot,  you'll  kill  or  cure  me  laughing." 
"  Nebber  knowed  nobody  die  laughin',  sah." 
"  You  are  right,  Tot ;  laughing  is  a  good  health 
ful  tonic,  and   I  shall  want  to  hear  more  of  Pomp 
hereafter,  but  I  fear  I  shall  split  my  sides  with  the 
vision  you  have  already  given  of  him    before  I 
finish  this  good  meal.     Tot,  this  is  the  most  per 
fect  cooking  I  ever  enjoyed.     Did  you  do  this  ?" 
"Yah,  I  cook  him.     I  got  so  I  can  suit  missus 
now,  tank  de  Lord  ;  but  it  tuck  aheap  larnin'  and 
a  power  o'   patience   fore   I   does   it.     Missus  so 
good    I    would  bust  ober    de    hot    range  'fore  I 
guvs  him  up.     She  say  it  fine  'complishment  as 
playin'     de     pinanna     an'    'portant     as     preach- 
in'." 

"  She  is  right,  Tot ;  for  both  music  and  preach 
ing  are  spoiled  by  vile  cooking  in  its  effect  on 
actor  or  listener." 

"  Well,  missus  say  I  should  cook  healthful  and 
savory  too,  and  she  telled  me  how  ter  fix  ebbery- 
thing  and  jes  de  color  she  want  in  de  bakin',  and 
how  dis  were  skience  and  dat  were  art  till  I  gin 
ter  tink  I  di'n't  know  nuffin  'tall  scarcely,  and 
dat  it  too  much  for  Tot  and  I  coon  do  'em  no 
how,  and  I  say, '  Oh,  missus  !  you  take  way  my  bref 
wid  so  much  larnin'.  'Twill  take  heap  more  brain 
den  I  got  to  forstan'  all  dat.'  I  was  done  plum 
gone  beat.  But  she  courage  me  'bout  de  great 
art,  and  I  fort  ef  I  could  ony  hab  one  ob  missus' 
fine  'complishments,  I'd  be  jes'  made,  and  I  says, 
'  Tot,  you  can't  change  you  leopard  spots,  but  yer 
can  let  missus  come  into  ye  and  rule  ye,  and  so  I  jes 


-a- 


DR.  LIGHTHEART  AND   TOT. 


27 


frowed  olc  Tot  away  and  ony  minded  missus  inside. 
I  kept  forgettin'  Tot's  'stakes  and  minin'  missus 
till  missus  inside  hab  ebberting  her  own  way,  and 
I  shout  victory,  halleluyah  !  When  missus  hear 
dat  and  foun'  I  cook'  em  right,  she  put  her  dear 
purty  arms  roun'  ole  Tot's  neck  and  kiss  her  ole 
brack  face.  Den  I  coon  say  nuffin,  ony  jes  bress 
de  Lord  ;  and  I  sot  right  down  on  de  flo'  and  had 
one  brcssed  good  cry.  I's  'complished  cook  now, 
sah,  but  missus  did  it." 

"Tot,  you  are  a  heroine." 

"What's  dat?" 

"  It  is  a  smart,  brave  woman." 

"  Tank  ye,  sah." 

"  You  conquered  your  ignorance  and  indisposi. 
tion  to  learn  ;  and  to  master  one's  self  is  the 
greatest  victory  one  achieves  in  this  world.  Ac 
cording  to  the  Bible,  it  is  a  greater  act  than  to 
take  a  city." 

"  Reckon  you  and  missus  am  alike." 

"  Tot,  I  am  thinking  you  could  not  pay  me  a 
higher  compliment  than  that.  Your  mistress  must 
be  a  very  sensible  and  excellent  lady." 

"  She  be  all  dat  and  more  too.  Oh,  my  !  here 
I  be  talkin'  like  crazy  coot  'ginst  doctor's  orders. 
Ye  seemed  so  peert  ye  made  me  forget  myself." 

Upon  this  she  left  the  room  as  fast  as  her  wad 
dling  gait  could  carry  her;  and  for  all  that  day, 
when  she  appeared,  as  she  did  occasionally,  to  sec 
that  I  wanted  nothing,  it  was  with  a  look  of  in 
quiry  and  a  nod,  or  a  few  monosyllables,  and  that 
was  all. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

BREAKFAST   WITH   THE   FAMILY. 

T  EARLY  fell  asleep  that  night,  and  slept 
soundly  till  morning;  and  when  I  awoke  my 
room  was  flooded  with  sunshine.  I  looked  out 
on  a  world  bright  and  beautiful,  as  if  new-created, 
and  I  felt  as  fresh  as  the  new-born  day.  I  was 
happy,  too,  though  it  would  have  puzzled  me  to 
know  exactly  why,  since  I  was  among  strangers, 
and  knew  not  what  a  day  might  bring  forth.  The 
secret  of  my  happiness  was  doubtless  largely 
physical,  but  much  was  due  to  the  fact  that  noth 
ing  but  pleasing  impressions  had  been  made  upon 
me  ;  and,  in  addition  to  gratitude,  may  there  not 
have  been  a  subtle  revelation  of  a  kindred  spirit 
near  by,  felt  and  believed  in,  though  mostly 
below  consciousness  ? 

Is  there  not  in  every  work  performed  a  soul, 
which  is  itself  a  revelation  of  the  author  ?  And 
is  it  not  as  real  in  so  simple  a  matter  as  the 
arrangement  of  a  sick-room  as  in  the  greater  and 
more  conspicuously  heroic  deed  ?  May  we  not, 
in  some  advanced  period,  look  back  on  the  so, 
called  trifles  of  every-day  life  and  read  in  them 
our  own  characters,  yes,  our  very  souls,  what  we 

were  from  day  to  day  and  year  to  year  ?     Be  that 
28 


BREAKFAST  WITH  THE  FAMILY.  29 

as  it  may,  I  was  at  home  with  the  spirit  of  the 
place,  felt  no  loneliness,  and  was  content  to  await 
developments.  Unconsciously  I  fell  into  a  semi- 
poetic  mood  : 

"  Kvery  act  has  its  own  spirit, 

Pregnant  with  immortal  fire, 
Kindling  in  each  passing  stranger 
Lofty  hope  or  low  desire." 

I  had  been  awake  only  a  few  minutes,  when 
there  came  a  tap  at  my  door,  and  the  benevolent 
face  of  Dr.  Lightheart  appeared. 

"  Ah  !  you  are  as  bright  as  the  morning',"  said 
he,  "  and  that  is  saying  a  good  deal.  I  think  you 
can  now  do  as  you  have  a  mind  to,  provided  you 
keep  your  mind  playful  and  utterly  careless.  You 
must  not  shoulder  a  feather's  weight  of  responsi 
bility  for  months."  He  added,  laughing,  "  Next 
autumn,  or  next  year,  perhaps,  you  may  break  up 
the  fallow  ground.  But  the  first  breaking  now  in 
order  will  be  to  break  fast  !  As  it  is  late,  and  I 
am  to  join  you  and  the  family  at  table,  I  will  at 
once  go  below  and  await  your  appearance." 

I  hastily  dressed  and  was  soon  in  the  lower 
hall,  where  the  doctor  met  me,  and,  leading  me 
into  the  sitting-room,  introduced  me  to  the  fam 
ily  :  Rev.  Dr.  Blentwood,  a  comfortable  invalid 
of  about  fifty  years,  prematurely  gray,  and  some 
what  careworn,  but  pleasant  and  intellectual,  and 
Miss  Ethel  Blentwood,  my  rescuer,  a  remarkably 
healthy,  rosy-cheeked  girl  of  twenty-three  sum 
mers,  blending  at  once  in  her  mien  the  intelli 
gence  of  the  father  and  the  sweetness,  I  learned 


3° 


SHIPS  BY  DA  Y. 


afterwards,  of  the  long-lamented  mother.  I  was 
heartily  congratulated  on  my  recovery,  and  was 
as  heartily  expressing  my  indebtedness,  when  Dr. 
Blentwood  took  me  by  the  arm,  and  we  all  re 
paired  to  the  dining-room. 

I  was  struck  with  what  is  usually  termed  "  the 
blessing."  Dr.  Blentwood,  looking  toward  his 
daughter,  who  sat  opposite,  said  pleasantly  and 
with  touching  simplicity,  "  For  this  beautiful 
morning,  and  the  health  and  happiness  of  this 
hour —  Here  he  paused,  and  his  daughter 

added  with  a  sweet  earnestness,  "  the  Lord  make 
us  truly  grateful." 

"  Professor  Bloomfield,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood, 
turning  to  me,  "  that  we  did  not  visit  your  room 
on  your  return  to  consciousness,  was  in  obedience 
to  the  strict  orders  of  our  mutual  physician,  Dr. 
Lightheart,  who  would  allow  no  one  to  attend 
you  but  the  nurse." 

"  As  a  result,"  broke  in  Dr.  Lightheart,  "  be 
hold  him  fresh  as  the  morning,  and  ready  for  full 
rations." 

"  To  Dr.  Lightheart's  commands  as  a  physi 
cian,"  responded  Dr.  Blentwood.  "  we  have  all 
learned  the  unwisdom  of  disobedience,  especially 
here  at  Graynoble." 

I  ventured  to  ask  if  Graynoble  was  the  name  of 
the  town. 

"  No,  sir,"  answered  Dr.  Blentwood  ;  "  it  is 
what  we  call  our  home." 

"  Ah  !  "  I  said,  noting  Ethel's  downcast  eyes, 
"  I  was  in  a  dazed  condition  when  I  arrived,  and 


BREAKFAST  WITH  THE  FAMILY.  31 


thought  I  was  passing  from  earth  to  heaven ; 
and,  really,  though  I  was  mistaken  in  some  re 
spects,  I  am  most  fortunate  in  rinding  myself  in  a 
home  so  prophetic  of  that  place.  The  past  few 
days  seem  still  so  much  a  dream,  and  though  I 
have  tried  hard  to  penetrate  their  history,  I  do 
not  yet  fully  know,  Miss  Blentwood,  how  much  I 
am  indebted  to  your  bravery  and  self-sacrifice." 

"  Your  indebtedness  is  very  slight  certainly," 
said  Miss  Ethel,  coloring;  "for  no  one  used  to 
the  water  as  I  am  would  have  done  less.  Indeed 
I  am  indebted  to  you  for  lying  so  still  and  letting 
me  pull  you  out  of  danger  so  easily.  Had  you 
been  less  manageable,  I  fear  I  could  not  have 
succeeded." 

"  I  would  like  very  much,"  I  said,  "  to  revisit 
the  scene  of  my  rescue  and  the  route  by  which  I 
was  brought  here.  It  is  all  a  disconnected  dream 
to  me,  indistinct  and  visionary,  but  very  pleasant. 
It  is  wonderful  that  I  have  no  recollection  of  hav 
ing  suffered  in  the  least.  I  can  recall  only  joyful 
emotions  and  bright  anticipations.  Even  now 
there  is  a  feeling  that  I  may  not  be  quite  awake, 
and  that  you  all  may  suddenly  take  angels'  wings 
and  fly  away,  leaving  me  only  the  memory  of  a 
glorious  dream,  or  vision." 

"  I  fear  we  are  a  little  too  worldly  to  do  that 
just  yet,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  though  I  hope, 
figuratively  speaking,  our  wings  are  growing. 
Your  experience  must  have  been  remarkable.  I 
doubt,  from  what  I  myself  have  been  cognizant, 
that  you  will  ever  feel  quite  clear  whether  yoi1 


SHfPS  BY  DAY. 


were  in  the  body  or  out.  Paul  in  one  of  his  ex 
periences  never  knew." 

"  The  visions,"  I  responded,  "  are  so  satisfying,  I 
would  fain  hold  them  as  sent  from  above,  whether 
natural  or  supernatural." 

"  Let  a  physician  speak,"  said  Dr.  Lightheart. 
"  Mr.  Bloomfield  enters  his  boat  tired  out  bodily 
and  mentally,  almost  exhausted,  his  mind  filled 
with  sweet  thoughts  of  rest,  the  most  blessed 
boon  imaginable  in  his  condition,  and,  while 
watching  the  beautiful  scenery  along  shore,  falls, 
through  something  like  sleep — almost  lethargic — 
into  unconsciousness,  from  which  he  only  partially 
arouses  to  see  Ethel  looking  at  him,  whom  by 
degrees  his  fevered  brain  and  consequent  over 
excited  imagination  places  beyond  the  dark  river 
as  an  inhabitant  of  the  Celestial  City — all  ex 
plained  naturally." 

"  Because  you  know  that  snow  is  only  frozen 
mist,"  asked  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  does  that  do  away 
with  the  fact  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  snow?" 

"  Certainly  not,"  answered  Dr.  Lightheart. 

"  Then,"  continued  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  because 
you  think  you  know  the  path  in  which  Professor 
Bloomfield's  mind  travelled  up  from  the  physical 
to  a  high  spiritual  state,  does  that  do  away  with 
the  possible  fact  that  he  did  enjoy  things  beyond 
the"  ken  of  the  ordinary  working  of  mind  in  mat 
ter  ?  But  the  particular  point  I  wish  to  make  is, 
that  God  was  in  his  experience,  whatever  it  was. 
The  very  fact  that  it  has  given  him  spiritual 
comfort  is  proof  of  this.  God  is  as  much  in  the 


BREAKFAST  WITH  THE  FA  MIL  Y.  33 


natural  as  in  the  supernatural,  in  the  small  as  in 
the  great  things  of  life.  They  are  only  parts  of 
one  grand  whole.  We  are  too  apt  to  shut  God 
out  from  all  we  can  in  any  measure  comprehend. 
Because  we  sec  a  little  of  His  method  in  the 
natural  world,  we  think  we  see  all. 

"  Again,  what  kind  of  a  God  would  He  be  who 
worked  without  method  ?  That  we  can  calculate 
beforehand,  to  a  moment,  the  rising  or  setting 
sun  and  the  procession  of  the  seasons  or  an 
eclipse,  only  proves  that  the  God  of  the  universe 
is  a  God  of  order  and  stability.  What  we  call 
natural  law  is  only  another  name  for  the  regular. 
ity  of  God's  procedure,  a  method  to  be  depended 
upon.  It  will  be  well  for  the  human  race  when 
men's  observation  shall  be  sufficiently  broad  and 
deep  to  bring  them  back  and  up  to  the  simplicity 
of  seeing  God  in  all  things,  in  the  little  gettings- 
on  in  life  and  in  the  expected  as  well  as  unex 
pected." 

"  How  much  comfort  and  real  rest  of  faith,"  I 
here  ventured  to  assert,  "  one  loses  who  thus  fails 
to  see  His  hand  everywhere  and  in  everything  !  " 

"  Yes,  indeed,"  answered  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  and 
conscious  help,  too." 

"  What  !  "  broke  in  Dr.  Lighthcart,  "  does  not 
God  help  the  man  who  does  not  recognize  His 
presence  as  well  as  the  man  who  does  ?  " 

"  He   helps   all    His   creatures,   sending   untold 

blessings   on   the  just   and  the  unjust  alike  ;  but 

can  you  not  sec  that  they,  who  recognize,  believe 

in,  and  are  conscious  of  God's  gifts,  are  the   only 

3 


SH7PS  BY  DAY. 


ones  who  are  really  helped  spiritually  ?  Belief 
draws  aside  spiritual  curtains  and  opens  spiritual 
doors,  letting  God's  blessings  into  the  soul.  Un 
belief  shuts  out  the  light  and  warmth  of  His 
presence  and  makes  that  soul,  spiritually,  a  dun 
geon." 

"  Then,  man  can  successfully  resist  God  ?  " 

"  Yes,  by  receiving  the  penalty  of  that  resist 
ance  in  his  own  soul." 

"  Does  that  penalty  relieve  God  of  respon 
sibility?  Is  He  not  a  father  still,  with  all  the 
tremendous  responsibilities  of  a  father?  " 

Dr.  Blentwood  hesitated  a  moment  and  then 
replied,  "  I  think,  Dr.  Lightheart,  God  cannot 
and  does  not  rest  with  the  penal  consequences  of 
sin.  Though  we  are  on  ground  where  we  should 
tread  lightly  and  reverently,  I  cannot  answer 
otherwise  than  that  He  has  responsibilities  as  a 
Creator ;  and  I  fully  believe  He  cannot  fail  to 
discharge  every  obligation  towards  the  most  way 
ward  of  His  children." 

"  Very  well,"  continued  Dr.  Lightheart,  "  what 
I  fail  to  see  is,  how  His  obligation  can  stop  short 
of  the  complete  blessedness  of  every  human 
being." 

"  Are  you  not  losing  sight  of  the  rights  of 
man  ?  " 

"  What  rights  ?  " 

"  The  right  to  receive  or  reject  any  gift,  whether 
from  God  or  man." 

"  It  seems  to  me  a  man's  right  to  be  lost  is  one 
he  would  willingly  forego." 


BREAKFAST  WITH  THE  FAMILY.  35 


"  I  think  not,  Dr.  Lightheart ;  every  man  prizes 
his  freedom  above  everything  else,  and  I  think  I 
can  say  with  reverence  that  the  infinite  God  bows 
in  humble  recognition  of  every  right  with  which 
He  has  constituted  us.  If  any  man  is  lost  it  will 
be  because  God  has  respected  his  rights  and  not 
that  He  has  violated  them.  Jesus  recognizes 
man's  right  to  reject  Him  when  He  says,  '  How 
often  would  I but  ye  would  not.'  ' 

"  Is  it  not  as  much  a  violation  of  man's  rights 
to  punish  him  against  his  will  as  it  would  be  to 
save  him  against  his  will  ?  " 

"  What  reason  have  you  that  God  does  either? " 

"  Will  a  man  go  to  hell  willingly  ?  " 

"  Yes,  if  he  is  more  fitted  for  hell  than  heaven. 
Why  not  ?  He  would  prefer  to  go  where  the 
society  would  be  most  congenial  to  him,  would 
he  not  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  Dr.  Lightheart  admitted,  "  I  see 
that.  I  notice  devils  prefer  devilish  companion 
ship  here." 

"  Well,  then,  if  man  is  wicked  and  all  his  tastes 
and  inclinations  are  low  and  away  from  God,  he 
could  not  feel  at  home  in  heaven.  lie  would  pre 
fer  the  society  of  those  urho  thought  and  felt  as 
he  did." 

"  Well,  admitting  that  to  be  true,  what  are  you 
going  to  do  with  the  good  man  of  fine  taste  and 
high  sense  of  honor,  who  somehow  leaves  God 
out  of  his  thoughts  ?  " 

"  Can  a  man  be  good  and  not  love  a  good  being 
like  God  ?  " 


3 6  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  No  ;  but  the  man  I  wish  to  bring  before  you 
does  love  the  good  wherever  he  finds  it  and 
affiliates  with  it,  but  not  being  able  to  define 
God,  his  thoughts  do  not  rest  there,  but  go  out 
practically  and  helpfully  towards  those  in  flesh 
and  blood  whom  he  knows  about.  What  are  you 
going  to  do  with  him  ?  Is  he  not  better  prepared 
for  heaven  than  the  person  who  says  he  loves 
God,  and  doubtless  thinks  so,  but  shows  none  of 
that  love  towards  his  fellow-men  and,  perhaps,  is 
full  of  unjust  criticism  and  fault-finding  towards 
his  neighbors  ?  " 

"  To  answer  in  the  shortest  manner,  I  do  not 
believe  God  is  such  a  devotee  to  red  tape  as  to 
be  deceived  by  a  mere  technical  adherence  to 
outward  forms,  or  that  the  man  himself  will 
always  be  deceived.  It  seems  to  me  eminently 
reasonable  that  every  man  will  go  to  his  own 
place,  where  he  is  most  fitted  to  go,  as  naturally 
and  as  surely  as  birds  of  a  feather  flock  together." 

"  Are  there,  then,  degrees  of  misery  as  well  as 
happiness  in  the  next  world  ?  " 

"  If  there  are  here,  why  not  there?  The  soul 
at  death  does  not  die  ;  it  is  only  separated  from 
the  coarser  body,  and  is  the  same  soul  still. 
Change  of  location  does  not  change  character." 

"  Then,  Dr.  Blentwood,  there  must  be  a  wide 
range  of  misery  and  happiness,  and  at  the  dividing 
line,  those  who  have  the  least  heaven  and  those 
who  have  the  least  hell  in  their  hearts,  must  be 
pretty  near  together." 

"  The  dividing  line,  Dr.   Lightheart,  will  be  the 


BREAKFAST  WITH  THE  FAMILY.  37 


love  line.  What  a  man  loves  determines  his 
character.  If  he  loves  God,  he  acts  from  the 
highest  motive,  loves  everything  good  and  beauti 
ful,  and  his  neighbor  as  himself ;  and  between 
him  and  one  who  does  not  so  love,  it  seems  to  me 
there  is  a  great  gulf." 

"  Precisely,  I  believe  that,  for  there  are  gulfs 
both  great  and  small  between  men  here,  though 
we  see  them  bridged  almost  constantly,  and  I 
believe  they  will  be  bridged  hereafter.  But  I 
would  like  to  know  what  is  to  become  of  the  low 
est  Christian  in  the  next  world,  according  to 
orthodoxy." 

"  Well,  being  on  the  right  side  of  the  love-line, 
the  line  of  progress,  as  the  corporal  in  the  army 
once  bragged  of  himself,  or  as  he  termed  it  the 
line  of  promotion,  though  starting  from  the  low 
est  heaven,  having  a  little  love,  which  is  a  little 
life,  said  Christian  may  go  on  to  the  highest 
heaven  or  everlasting  bliss." 

"  And  what  of  the  wicked  ?  " 

"  Many  think  they  will  go  away  waxing  worse 
and  worse,  till  they  descend  into  the  lowest  hell, 
or  are  annihilated." 

"And  what  do  you  think,  Dr.  Blentwood?" 

"  I  can  only  say  that  the  tendency  of  selfish 
ness  is  to  separate  more  and  more,  combining 
only  for  selfish  ends ;  and  the  worst  state  I 
can  conceive  of  is  that  of  a  soul  becoming  so  self 
ish  as  to  neither  love  nor  trust  anybody,  volun 
tarily  shutting  himself  up  to  solitary  gloom." 

"  But  before  he  reaches  this   sad   state,  if  such 


38  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


a  state  be  possible,  which  I  very  much  doubt, 
may  he  not  repent  and  receive  God's  love,  and  so 
pass  to  the  line  of  progress,  or,  in  Scripture 
phrase,  from  the  left  to  the  right  hand  of  the 
Father?" 

"  Never,  never,"  shouted  a  sharp  voice  through 
the  open  dining-room  door.  It  was  the  voice  of 
Mrs.  Lightheart,  who  had  been  in  the  sitting- 
room,  impatiently  awaiting  the  entrance  of  the 
family,  but  hearing  her  creed  assailed,  could  wait 
no  longer.  She  continued,  u  The  wicked  shall 
go  away  into  everlasting  misery — into  a  lake  of 
fire  and  brimstone  and  be  tortured  with  everlast 
ing  burning,  the  smoke  of  their  torment  always 
ascending  with  the  howls  of  devils  dancing  around 
and  stirring  up  the  fires — that's  my  belief." 

"  My  wife,  you  see,"  said  Dr.  Lightheart, 
ironically,  "  is  much  given  to  the  satisfying 
delights  of  sweet  reasonableness  !  The  fact  is," 
he  added  laughing,  "  she  is  an  intense  literalist ; 
and  the  way  I  came  to  marry  her  was  her  mistak 
ing  a  piece  of  poetry  I  quoted  as  a  real,  literal 
pop  of  the  question  !  Being  caught,  I  made  the 
best  of  it,  and  with  great  fortitude  gave  myself 
up  at  once  as  lost  to  all  the  comforts  of  single 
blessedness,  though  I  have  hankered  for  them 
ever  since  !  " 

This  brought  down  the  house,  and  amid  the 
general  laughter  all  rose  from  the  table  and 
entered  the  sitting-room. 


CHAPTER  V. 

ETHEL    m.ENTWOOD. 

A  FTER  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Lightheart  had  left,  1 
•**•  said,  as  best  I  could,  to  Dr.  and  Miss  Blent- 
\vood,  that  I  was  under  great  and  lasting  obligation 
to  them  for  their  exceeding  kindness,  and  that  I 
was  in  much  perplexity  how  to  even  express,  much 
less  discharge,  the  great  debt  of  gratitude  I  felt 
and  should  always  continue  to  feel.  I  found  it 
hard  to  recognize  the  fact  that  this  place,  so  full 
of  charming  associations  was  not  my  rest,  my 
home,  but  that  I  must  leave  it  in  a  few  short 
hours.  The  pictures  here  formed  in  my  mind 
would  ever  remain  to  influence  my  whole  life. 
My  voice  trembled ;  for  I  felt  deeply  what  I 
said. 

Dr.  Blentwood  approached  and  took  me  warmly 
in  both  his  hands,  saying,  "  My  dear  sir  and 
brother,  we  are  abundantly  paid  already  for  our 
part  in  this  agreeable  episode  in  our  life.  So, 
permit  us  to  feel  under  obligation  to  you  for  your 
involuntary  visit  and  the  unexpected  pleasure  of 
an  agreeable  acquaintance.  I  assure  you,  if  our 
meeting  has  been  pleasant  to  you  it  has  been 
doubly  so  to  us.  We  cannot  think  of  your  leav 
ing  to-day.  Besides,  it  would  not  be  prudent.  I 

39 


40  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 

must  be  in  my  study  for  an  hour,  and  then,  if 
agreeable  to  you  and  Ethel,  we  will  visit  the  scene 
of  your  rescue." 

Reading  the  same  cordial  welcome  in  the  softly 
lustrous  eyes  of  Miss  Blentwood,  I  responded, 
"  Dr.  Blentwood,  I  felt  that  I  had  trespassed  too 
long  already  on  your  generous  hospitality.  But 
your  cordiality  convinces  me  that  you  mean 
what  you  say,  and  I  gladly  remain  over  till  to 
morrow. 

Playfully  patting  my  shoulder,  Dr.  Blentwood 
said,  "  To-morrow  is  a  doubtful  quantity,  but  if 
it  arrives,  and  Dr.  Lightheart  says  you  may  go 
and  you  feel  that  you  must,  we  shall  have  to  yield 
to  the  inevitable  ;  but  permit  us  to  hope  that  you 
will  remain  and  make  our  home  your  home  as 
long  as  it  will  serve  your  health  and  convenience," 
and  so  saying  he  retired. 

Miss  Blentwood  followed  him  to  the  next 
room,  and  I  saw  her  adjust  his  necktie,  and  then, 
looking  up  to  him  with  loving  admiration,  put  up 
her  mouth  for  a  kiss,  which  was  mutually  given. 
She  immediately  returned,  and  to  relieve  her 
from  the  delicacy  of  adding  anything  to  her 
father's  welcome,  I  spoke  first,  saying  that  I 
found  myself  much  in  love  with  her  father — that 
though  I  had  seen  him  but  a  few  hours,  I  felt 
that  I  already  knew  him  thoroughly, 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  that,"  she  replied  ; 
"  for  I  do  think  so  much  of  my  father,  I  want 
everybody  else  to  appreciate  him  as  well.  He 
is  always  transparent  and  true.  Never  having 


ETHEL  BLENTWOOD.  41 


anything  to  cover  up,  he  never  puts  on  an 
exterior  different  from  his  inmost  feeling." 

"  He  seems  to  be  one  who  doeth  good 
by  stealth,  and  would  blush  to  find  it  fame,"  I 
said. 

"  It  is  but  simple  justice,"  she  went  on,  "  to  say 
that  however  many  may  know  of  his  good  deeds, 
he  himself  never  knows  them." 

"  Ah  !  "  I  exclaimed,  "  right  there  is  the  secret 
of  the  Scripture  injunction  to  let  not  your  left 
hand  know  what  your  right  hand  doeth.  It 
will  not  hurt  us  if  the  whole  world  knows  the 
good  we  do,  provided  we  keep  it  from  ourselves. 
It  is  this  making  note  of  our  good  acts  and 
taking  credit  for  them,  which  nurtures  spiritual 
pride  and  spoils  us,  as  it  did  the  Pharisees  of 
old." 

"  How  much  that  sounds  like  father!  "she  said 
innocently.  "  He  has  always  taught  me  that  we 
owe  service  to  our  fellow-creatures,  and  his  life 
has  so  fully  and  sweetly  illustrated  that  principle, 
that  it  does  not  seem  to  be  at  all  like  living  to 
sacrifice  nothing  for  the  happiness  of  others. 
Indeed,  I  have  so  grown  up  in  the  warm  atmos 
phere  of  domestic  tranquillity  and  a  love  which 
means  service,  that  when  I  go  into  a  home  where 
the  opposite  principle  predominates,  I  feel  such  a 
chill  and  shrinking  back,  as  if  coining  into  the 
house  of  death  !  I  can  ajmost  see  the  icy  fingers 
clutching  the  hearts  of  the  inmates  and  freezing 
every  pulsation,  and  I  ache  to  say  or  do  some 
thing  to  bring  them  into  the  warmth  and  joy 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


of  real  life.  Perhaps  my  talk  seems  strange  to 
you  ?  " 

"  Not  a  bit  of  it,"  I  replied.  "  If  strange  it  is 
the  strangeness  of  truth  forcibly  put,  with  which 
I  fully  sympathize.  Whatever  one  may  call  the 
picture  of  the  garden  of  Eden,  whether  allegory 
or  fact,  there  can  be  nothing  truer  than  that  Adam 
died  the  moment  he  selfishly  desired  to  appro 
priate  the  only  fruit,  which  did  not  belong  to 
him,  and  which  God  had  forbidden  him  to  touch. 
Selfishness  is  moral  death.  God  asks  us  then  a 
most  reasonable  thing  when  He  asks  us  to  deny 
self;  that  is,  give  up  selfishness  which  is  death, 
and  become  partakers  of  the  divine  nature,  which 
is  love  or  self-sacrifice,  in  other  Words,  life.  If 
physical  death  is  the  separation  of  the  soul  from 
the  body,  or  the  coarser  body  (to  recognize 
Swedenborgianism),  then  it  is  proper  to  call  the 
separation  of  the  soul  from  God — the  loss  of  cen 
trifugal  force  as  a  balance — spiritual  death." 

"  You  would  say,  then,  that  he  who  is  far 
thest  from  God  is  the  most  selfish,  whether  called 
saint  or  sinner,"  she  half  asked  and  half  as 
serted. 

"  It  seems  to  me  self-evident,"  I  replied.  "  God 
is  love  and  love  is  self-sacrifice,  and  hence,  he,  who 
is  farthest  from  Him,  is  farthest  from  sacrificing 
anything  for  others,  and,  therefore,  is  deepest  in 
selfishness." 

"  How  do  you  explain  the  apparent  selfishness 
of  so-called  Christians,  often  greater  than  so-called 
worldly  people  ?  "  she  asked. 


ETHEL  BLENTWOOD.  43 


"  The  name,  Christian,"  I  answered,  "  is  often 
misapplied  and  sadly  abused.  But  we  must  bear 
in  mind  that  selfishness  is  one  thing  and  its  mani 
festation  another,  the  latter  varying  with  individ 
ual  ambitions  and  aims.  The  most  satanic  self 
ishness  may  put  on  the  garb  of  pure  benevolence 
for  a  purpose.  One  man  asks  of  an  action  only, 
How  will  it  affect  my  social  or  political  standing? 
Another  thinks  only  of  God  as  the  perfect  stand 
ard  and  the  rectitude  of  his  own  conscience. 
Some  spend  money  freely,  because  they  do  not 
value  it,  as  some  squander  their  honor  for  the 
same  reason.  Others,  again,  are  indifferent  to 
everything  except  the  present,  like  Esau,  very 
pleasant  animals,  but  incapable  of  denying  them 
selves  or  others  where  pleasure  is  concerned. 
We  are  in  a  world  of  mixed  motives,  and  it  is 
very  difficult  to  penetrate  to  the  springs  of 
action  ;  but  if  we  look  patiently  and  long  enough, 
I  think  we  shall  generally  find  the  evidence  which 
Jesus  meant  when  he  said,  '  By  their  fruits  ye 
shall  know  them.' 

"  A  further  explanation  may  be  found  in  the  fact 
that  some  start  in  the  Christian  life  very  low 
down,  and  though  having  a  little  love,  that 
love  has  more  to  contend  with  in  reaching  its 
fruitage  than  with  others.  We  must  admit,  I 
suppose,  in  view  of  the  Old  Testament  worthies, 
that  it  takes  but  a  very  little  grace  to  save  a  man 
or  to  begin  in  him  a  work  of  reformation;  and 
hence,  it  is  not  strange  in  the  battle  between  the 
new  and  old  life  that  some  of  the  old  selfishness 


44  Sf/JJ'S  B  Y  DA  Y. 

should  appear  occasionally."  I  saw  that  she 
wished  to  speak,  and  I  paused. 

"  Your  remarks,  Professor  Bloomfield,"  she  said, 
with  a  pleased  countenance,  "  have  cleared  away 
a  cloud  of  difficulties,  and  I  thank  you  very  much. 
I  shall  now  find  it  much  easier  to  be  charitable 
towards  the  lowest  and  most  unattractive  Chris 
tian.  I  fear  I  have  not  made  due  allowance  for 
the  difference  of  inherited  tendencies  and  training, 
I  do  pity  the  cross-grained  and  ill-conditioned, 
but  do  I  love  them  ?  I  try  to  find  their  good 
qualities  and  be  drawn  to  them  thereby,  but  I 
find  it  hard  work." 

"  You  are  not  required  to  do  impossibilities, 
Miss  Blentwood.  We  talk  flippantly  about  love, 
as  if  it  were  something  we  could  control  by  mere 
will-power.  By  no  possibility  can  you  love  what 
to  you  is  unlovely.  God  Himself  does  not." 

"  Who,  then,  can  stand  ?  for  are  we  not  all  un 
lovely  in  His  pure  sight  ?" 

"  Only  comparatively,  I  think.  He  sees  in  us 
the  embryonic  seed  as  fully  developed,  which 
even  to  Him  is  lovely,  and,  so,  loves  this  per 
fect  germ,  however  small,  and  the  ideal  He  is 
working  out  in  each  one  of  His  children." 

"  I  see  ;  but  does  He  not  love  the  impenitent 
sinner,  who  has  not  received  this  divine  attract 
iveness  ?  " 

"  Not  with  the  love  of  complacency.  He  can 
only  love  such  with  the  love  of  pity  or  benev 
olence — not  cold,  but  warm,  actively  helpful, 
persevering,  infinite." 


BLKNTWOOD. 


45 


"  May  not  even  His  benevolence  be  greater 
than  anything  we  call  love?" 

"  Undoubtedly  it  is  a  thousand-fold  more  benef 
icent.  Love  is  a  variable  quantity,  meaning  more 
or  less  according  to  the  inward  state  of  the  indi 
vidual.  How  infinite  the  difference,  for  example, 
between  what  the  lowest  and  the  highest  man 
means  by  it !  Again,  how  much  more  God  puts 
into  the  word  than  the  noblest  and  best  of 
earth  !  So  that  when  one  says,  I  love,  he  may 
mean  something  almost  entirely  different  from 
another  who  says  the  same  thing."  I  thought 
I  detected  a  slight  blush  overspreading  her  coun 
tenance,  and  the  thought  flashed  upon  me  that 
perhaps  she  had  recently  had  those  two  Avords 
addressed  to  her.  The  idea,  to  my  surprise, 
pained  me,  and  I  unconsciously  paused. 

She  broke  the  silence  by  saying,  "  I  think  we 
have  to  know  people  to  understand  how  much 
their  professions  mean,  even  when  sincerely  ut 
tered." 

I  looked  up  and  thought  I  saw  the  same 
blush,  as  if  a  double  consciousness  was  going 
on  in  her  mind,  produced  by  personal  experi 
ence. 

Whether  this  was  so  or  not,  she  immediately 
excused  herself,  and  retired  from  the  room. 

Hitherto  I  had  been  interested  chiefly  in  her 
fine  mental  qualities  and  her  refreshing,  open, 
innocent  simplicity.  There  was  an  atmosphere 
about  her  of  winning  rcstfulness  and  genial 
warmth,  which  charmed  me  from  the  first  ;  but 


46  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


now,  as  she  arose  to  retire,  I  had  time  to  note  her 
extreme   loveliness   of   face  and   figure,  her  easy 
carriage  and  grace  of  manner. 
She  moved 

"  As  if  her  body  were  instinct  with  thought 
Moulded  to  motion  by  music's  waves." 

As  she  departed,  I  involuntarily  murmured, 
"  There  goes  the  most  beautiful  girl  I  ever  saw, 
mentally,  morally,  spiritually  and  physically. 
What  a  blessing  she  will  bring  to  the  man  to 
whom  she  gives  her  heart !  If  worthy  of  her,  he 
will  have  an  ever-present  heaven.  Her  love  will 
mean  so  much  !  It  will  be  crowded  and  instinct 
with  uplifting  force  and  life.  If  her  future  hus 
band  does  not  strive  with  all  his  might  to  be,  for 
her  sake,  the  most  appreciative  and  best  possible 
man,  he  will  be  either  a  rascal  or  a  fool.  Hers, 
like  divine  love,  must  be  transforming,  unless  it 
falls,  as  sometimes  does  God's  sunshine,  on  the 
flinty  rock  which  can  give  back  no  response. 
What  if,  deceived  by  her  own  reflected  light,  her 
love  does  so  fall,  and  she  is  tied  down  to  a  dead 
man — dead  in  all  his  higher  nature,  though  he 
speaks  and  moves  with  all  the  appearance  of 
life!" 

The  thought  made  me  shudder.  No,  no,  I 
argued  with  myself,  though  innocent  and  very 
sympathetic,  she  has  too  much  judgment  and  is 
too  sensitive  to  the  presence  of  evil  not  to  be  re 
pelled  from  the  selfish  and  the  stony-hearted  : 


ETHEL  BLENTWOOD.  47 


and   she  will  be  drawn  only  to  one,  who,  like  her 
self,  is  good  and  true  to  the  heart's  core. 

Then  I  began  to   speculate   on  the  mission  of 
such  a  pair. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

A   WALK   WITH   ETHEL. 

HAT  should  the  happiest  and  best  couple  on 
earth  do?  I  soon  found  to  be  a  question 
which  led  into  infinite  depths,  and  was  relieved  of 
it  by  the  entrance  of  Dr.  Blentwood  and  his  win 
some,  fascinating  daughter.  I  was  much  struck 
with  the  moral  beauty  of  the  picture  they  pre 
sented,  the  quiet,  unobtrusive  happiness,  the  im 
plicit  trust  in  each  other,  the  perfect  sympathy 
love  so  clearly  but  unconsciously  expressed  in  and 
every  movement,  and  the  grand  spirituality  which 
glorified  their  every  feature.  The  picture  was  to 
me,  especially  winning  now,  having  just  come,  in 
the  interest  of  education,  from  a  world  of  busi 
ness,  which  is  too  much  and  needlessly  a  world  of 
diplomacy  and  deceit. 

"Well,  Professor  Bloomfield,"  said  Dr.Blentwood 
cheerfully,  "  I  have  dropped  off  the  harness  of 
toil,  and  now  shall  we  take  that  little  outing?  " 

"  If  you  please,"  I  answered,  rising.  "  I  am 
naturally  anxious  to  see  how  I  came  here.  I 
feel  as  if  I  had  been  suddenly  let  into  your  rest 
ful  paradise,  and  have  only  a  confused  and  very 
indefinite  idea  where  I  left  the  world  of  care  and 

fatigue  in  wrhich  I  had  been  laboring  so  long." 

48 


A    WALK  WITH  ETHEL.  49 


At  the  door  the  doctor  was  detained  by  a 
caller,  and  so  Ethel  and  I  were  permitted  to  walk 
on  "  slowly."  This  permission  was  very  agree 
able  to  me,  though  I  liked  the  doctor's  com 
pany  ;  for  Miss  Ethel's  voice  had  a  sweet  fas 
cination  about  it  and  an  accent  so  soft  and 
tender  that  I  loved  to  hear  her  talk.  It  was  one 
of  those  rare  voices,  one  hears  once  in  a  lifetime, 
which  seems  attuned  to  the  mqlody  of  a  higher 
order  of  being,  and  which,  entering  the  car,  lin 
gers  and  echoes  through  all  the  chambers  of  the 
soul  like  a  pleasant  memory,  a  thing  of  beauty  and 
a  joy  forever. 

I  was  glad  to  be  out  of  doors  ;  for  the  sky  was 
clear  except  a  few  fleecy  clouds  sailing  on  a  sea 
of  blue,  and  everything  was  resplendent  with  that 
peculiar  glory  which  a  June  morning  alone  can 
give. 

"  What  beautiful  scenery  !  "  I  was  forced  to 
exclaim  when  we  had  left  the  house  behind  us  and 
I  had  turned  to  view  it.  "  You  are,  indeed,  hap 
pily  situated.  This  is  the  first  time  I  have  seen 
your  house  on  the  outside." 

"Which,"  asked  Miss  Blcntwood,  "do  you  like 
the  better  ?  " 

"  The  inside,"  I  replied.  There  is  a  mingled 
quaintness  and  picturesqueness  about  the  exterior, 
and  certain  homelike  touches  in  the  surroundings 
which  I  like  very  much  ;  but  the  real  spirit  and 
beauty  of  home  is  better  expressed  within. 
There  is  a  glow  of  warm  heart-welcome  in  the 
entire  interior  arrangement,  which  seems  to  say 
4 


5° 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  me  as  I  enter,  '  Come  in  ;  everything  here  is 
yours  without  reserve.'  So,  you  see  there  is  about 
as  much  difference  between  the  exterior  and  in 
terior  of  your  home,  as  there  is  between  looking 
at  a  luscious  cherry  and  eating  it !  " 

She  looked  up  for  a  moment,  but  long  enough 
for  me  to  see  a  soft  gladness  lying  in  her  limpid 
eyes. 

"  Well,"  she  said,  "  I  think  the  interior  of  a 
borne  sJiould  say  that,  though  I  fail  to  make  ours 
talk  as  I  would  like." 

"  That  is  because  your  heart  is  larger  than  your 
expression  of  it.  In  other  words,  you  mean  more 
than  you  say  ;  and,  in  fact,  that  is  just  what  your 
home  indicates."  She  laughed  a  gentle  little 
laugh. 

I  went  on,  "  A  home  should  not  lie.  I  have 
been  in  homes  which  had  a  great  deal  of  money 
scattered  about  in  costly  furnishings,  and  at  first 
they  seemed  to  say,  '  This  luxury  is  for  your  en 
joyment,  if  you  will  only  stop  with  us  ; '  but  look 
ing  deeper  I  felt  that  it  was  all  false,  and  that  at 
heart  they  only  meant,  '  Look,  admire,  and  then 
go  about  your  business.'  " 

"  Such  deception  is  felt  rather  than  seen,  is  it 
not?" 

"  Yes,  one  may  be  intellectually  pleased,  but 
feeling  the  lack  of  soul  he  becomes  chilled,  and 
before  he  gets  out  of  the  house,  sighs  for  a 
great-coat  and  mittens,  though  in  the  middle  of 
July." 

"  How  do  you  account,  Professor  Bloomfield, 


A    WALK  WITH  ETHEL.  51 


for  this  feeling — this  sensitiveness  to  the  varied 
moral  atmosphere  pervading  different  homes?" 

"  It  is  hard  to  analyze  ;  but  I  think  it  comes 
from  the  character  of  the  inmates.  In  one  way 
or  another  the  very  walls  reflect  the  spirit  of  the 
life  there  lived." 

"  Is  not  something  due  to  skill  in  making  home 
attractive  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  Miss  Blentwood,  but  it  is  the  skill 
of  the  heart  rather  than  the  head.  An  honest  and 
loving  heart  will  find  out  and  apply  to  the  needs 
of  home  more  comforting  things  than  all  the  cold 
intellects  that  could  be  brought  together." 

o  o 

"  Is  it  the  motive,  then,  revealed  behind  the 
arrangement  of  home,  rather  than  the  things  con 
tained  in  it,  that  give  us  pleasure  or  displeas 
ure  ?  " 

"  Mostly,  I  think ;  though,  of  course,  some 
thing  may  be  accorded  to  the  mere  material. 
Some  homes,  like  the  people  occupying  them,  are 
heartless,  and  the  motive  for  their  existence  lies 
in  selfish  pride.  Others,  on  the  contrary,  in  every 
article  and  attitude  declare  themselves  wholly  for 
your  happiness,  and  nothing  for  display." 

"  I  certainly  have  felt  all  you  say,  Professor 
Bl cornfield,  but  the  logical  process  by  which  the 
feeling  was  produced  I  may  not  have  clearly  de 
tected." 

"  That  is  because  it  was  too  quick  for  you. 
The  logic  of  the  heart  will  always  outrun  the 
logic  of  the  head,  as  the  loving  John  outran  the 
headstrong  Peter  to  the  tomb  of  Jesus." 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


She  was  thoughtful  for  a  moment,  and  then 
said,  "  Of  course  an  act,  in  itself  admirable,  loses 
its  beauty  when  prompted  by  an  evil  purpose." 

"  Exactly,"  I  said.  "  Whatever  minor  loveli 
ness  may  be  accorded  to  transactions  or  things,  it 
is  the  design  which  speaks  through  them,  at  home 
or  elsewhere,  which  draws  or  repels." 

"  Would  you  say  that  a  sense  of  the  beautiful 
everywhere  and  always  comes  to  us  through  a 
similar  process  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,  even  from  memory  or  association. 
What  is  it  in  sculpture,  painting,  or  nature  that 
produces  in  us  an  emotion  of  beauty?  Is  it  the 
marble  or  paint  or  coloring  matter  ?  What  makes 
this  landscape  of  open  fields  and  sylvan  dells, 
stretching  out  before  us  as  we  walk,  glorious?  Is 
it  not,  as  in  a  work  of  art,  the  design,  the  ideal 
suggested,  the  spirit  which  animates  and  speaks 
through  it?  " 

"  Then  you  would  say  that  all  beauty  is  chiefly 
immaterial  or  spiritual  ?  " 

"  Chiefly,  I  think,  Miss  Blentwood.  It  is  the 
soul  in  things,  living,  breathing,  speaking.  In 
other  words,  it  is  the  ideal  or  meaning  which 
touches  us  and  makes  us  say,  '  Oh,  how  beauti 
ful  ! '  To  illustrate,  you  have  seen  a  human  face 
faultless  in  outline  and  coloring,  which  you  could 
not  call  beautiful,  because  it  meant  nothing. 
Such  a  face  is  attractive,  if  at  all,  only  to  another 
soulless  idiot  like  its  owner." 

"To  branch  a  little  from  the  subject,  though 
suggested  by  it,  I  am  reminded  of  Swedenborg, 


A   WALK  WITH  ETHEL.  53 


who  teaches,  I  think,  that  every  tree  and  other 
natural  object  is  only  the  material  expression  of  a 
soul  which  shall  live  hereafter  !  " 

li  Whether  that  be  true  or  not,  certainly  every 
object  of  nature  has  in  it  an  idea,  a  spiritual 
meaning — in  other  words,  is  the  expression  of  a 
spiritual  thought,  the  thought  God  had  in  making 
it  ;  and  thus  it  is,  as  some  one  has  said,  we  may 
'  read  God's  thoughts  after  Him.'  " 

"  But,  Professor  Bloomfield,  is  there  anything 
unreasonable  in  the  supposition  that  these 
thoughts  of  God,  expressed  in  flowers,  shrubs, 
trees,  birds,  may  be  permanent  or  everlast 
ing  thoughts,  and  that  we  shall  meet  them 
again  hereafter,  expressed  in  more  refined  form 
and  as  much  more  beautiful  than  we  now  see 
them,  as  we  expect  our  bodies  to  be  ?  " 

"You  put  that  thought  very  finely,  Miss  Blent- 
woocl,  and  frankly  I  see  nothing  unreasonable 
about  it.  Do  you  believe  it  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  blushing,  "  it  is  something  one  can 
hardly  believe  or  disbelieve,  I  think.  It  strikes 
me  as  a  very  pretty  and  pleasant  idea — that's 
all." 

"  How?  "  I  asked,  wishing  to  draw  her  out. 

"  Oh,  it  helps  me  to  think  what  the  other  world 
is  like.  If  everything  pleasant  here  is  the  repre 
sentation  of  a  real  spiritual  life,  then  the  other 
better  world  must  be  similar  to  this,  only  infi 
nitely  refined  and  beautified  ;  and,  when  I  get 
there,  I  shall  not  feel  so  far  from  home  or  so 
much  a  stranger  in  a  strange  land." 


54  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


At  this  moment  our  attention  was  drawn  to  a 
tree  about  ten  feet  tall,  covered  with  beautiful 
blossoms,  and  approaching  us  without  any  visible 
power  to  carry  it,  as  if,  in  proof  of  some  Darwin 
ian  theory,  it  had  ambitiously  cut  loose  from  the 
soil,  and  was  trying  a  life  of  locomotion  !  After 
the  first  breath  of  surprise,  I  said  laughingly, 
Miss  Blentwood  joining  : 

"That  makes  me  think  of  '  Birnam  wood,' 
though  it  must  be  on  a  more  peaceful  mission." 

The  tree  suddenly  stopped,  and  a  black  head, 
followed  by  a  body,  emerged  from  the  branches 
which  had  completely  enveloped  him,  and,  seeing 
us,  he  let  down  his  precious  burden  gently  on  the 
grass. 

"  Our  Tom  !  "  said  Miss  Blentwood  with  a  pleased 
look,  "  and  a  noble  old  man  he  is.  He  has  but 
one  fault,  an  amusing  one,  quite  common  I  think 
among  recent  slaves,  and  that  is  a  strange  pride  in 
using  uncommon  words  and  phrases,  apparently 
inventing  a  word  when  none  comes  to  hand  to 
suit  him.  Occasionally  he  will  strike  out  or 
stumble  upon  an  original  thought  which  I  find 
worth  carrying  away,  and  thinking  about." 

As  we  approached  Tom  took  off  his  hat  and 
put  it  under  his  arm,  as  he  used  to  do  when  a 
slave  in  the  presence  of  a  white  person,  and  stood 
grinning  and  ducking  his  head,  till  we  came  up. 
This,  I  afterwards  found  was  a  special  mark  of 
politeness,  enacted  only  to  those  he  believed  were 
very  respectable.  He  touched  his  hat  to  every 
body,  took  it  off  to  little  better  people,  tucked 


A   WALK  WITIT  ETHEL.  55 


it  under  his  arm  to  nicer  people  still,  and  when 
specially  pleased  to  see  them,  he  would  in  addi 
tion  grin  and  duck  his  head. 

"  O,  Tom  ! "  she  exclaimed  smiling,  "  you 
almost  frightened  us.  Did  it  not  hurt  your  feel 
ings  to  cut  so  beautiful  a  tree  ?  " 

"  It  did  twingle-twinge  me  some,  Miss  Ethel, 
nt  fust,"  said  he,  putting  great  emphasis  on  the 
"  fust,"  "  it  look  so  lubly  enough  to  grow  in  de 
garden  obde  Lord  ;  but  I  say,  Booful  tree,  I  want 
you  for  de  chosen  ob  de  Lord.  Is  not  you  willin' 
to  gib  youself  to  happify  Miss  Ethel  ?  Nuffin' 
too  good  for  her,  be  dar  ?  Den,  when  I  mention 
dat  name,  de  tree  seem  to  smile  all  ober  and  say, 
I's  ony  too  willin'  to  lib  or  die  for  to  happify 
Miss  Ethel,  and  den  I  cut  him  down  wiclout  any 
furder  obfuscation." 

We  both  had  to  laugh,  but  she  did  not  forget 
to  cast  an  appreciating  look  upon  Tom  for  his  kind 
efforts  to  serve  her,  which  made  him  chuckle  with 
much  satisfaction. 

As  Ur.  Blentwood  had  not  overtaken  us,  we 
sat  down  on  the  grass  to  await  his  coming  and  to 
engage  Tom  in  conversation.  As  we  did  so  I 
managed  to  sly  a  greenback  into  Tom's  coat- 
pocket  and  said,  "  Tom,  this  is  the  first  opportu 
nity  I  have  had  to  thank  you,  which  I  do  most 
heartily,  for  your  kindness  on  the  night  of  my 
arrival  here." 

"  You  is  bei'}'  welcome,  Massa  Boomfield, 
bery.  I  is  glorified  to  see  you  well  once  mo'.  I 
fort  dat  night  dat  de  bref  ob  life  were  mose  clean 


56  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


done  gone  outer  ye,  and  dat  you  were  sailin'  ober 
to  tudder  sho'  for  sure.  But  in  de  silent  watches 
ob  de  night  I  seen  a  glory  shinin'  roun'  you  boat, 
and,  though  de  black  waves  run  high  and  de  death 
winds  were  drivin'  you  fast,  you  boat  mistiferously 
turn  roun'  and  come  back  to  dis  yere  country ; 
and  it  come  for  a  purpose,  Massa  Boomfield.  I 
knowed  it ;  for  I  seen  it.  I  shall  not  lib  to  see  de 
actuality,  ony  de  incipiency,  but  on  tudder  side 
I  will  climb  de  golden  stair,  and  witness  de 
bressed  consummation.  I  mun  interfere  wid  de 
prophetic  idee  by  telling  any  mo'  cept  ony  jes' 
this,  if  ye  pray  by  de  dyin*  bedside  ob  ole  Tom, 
ye  may  know  dat  de  glorious  vision  will  come 
quick  to  pass."  The  ole  man  bowed  his  head, 
much  shaken  by  his  emotions ;  but  soon  raised  it 
again,  smiling  through  his  tears,  and  simply  added, 
"  I  is  satisfied  and  happified." 

Not  knowing  what  else  to  say,  and  to  relieve 
the  embarrassment,  I  said,  "  Tom,  where  did  you 
find  that  beautiful  tree  ?  " 

"  On  de  hill  yonner,  sah  ;  dey  mos'ly  grow  on 
de  sidehills.  Some  ob  dem  bear  white  blossom 
and  some  pink.  Peers  like  folks  dunno  what 
name  to  give  em ;  but  we  call  em  mountain 
laurel." 

"  Did  that  tree  really  speak  to  you,  Tom?  " 

"  Yes,  sah,  evything  speak  to  me  ob  de  Lord  and 
his  lub." 

"  Anything  more  ?  " 

"  Sometime  a  heap.  It  pends  whedder  I  is 
equal  to  de  situation.  For  circumstance,  if  I  and 


A   WALK  WITH  ETHEL.  57 


de  mountain  or  dc  tree  or  de  flower  am  in  cle  same 
mood  and  our  hearts  beat  togedder,  den  I  can 
open  dc  do'  and  walk  right  into  de  private  audi 
ence  room,  and  hab  a  mos'  bressed  confabulation, 
sah,  a  mos'  bressed  confabulation." 

"  I  am  afraid,  Tom,  you  get  more  out  of  nature 
than  I  do." 

"  Dat  be  possible,  sah,  for  dis  yere  reason  dat  I 
find  in  my  own  sperience,  which  am  dat  larnin' 
create,  sometimes,  a  cyclogical  difficulty  discom- 
boberatin'  and  obfuscatin'  de  perception.  Nature 
hab  a  anthromorphic  voice  only  for  dc  chile  like 
and  de  poetic  simpleton,  so  to  speak,  sah." 

"  Well,  Tom,  can  you  tell  us  if  there  will  be 
flowers  in  Heaven  ?  " 

"  I  is  sure  of  it,  sah." 

"  How  ?  " 

"  I  may  not  be  able  to  splain  de  location  ob  rny 
faculties  on  dat  ar'  pint,  but  I  shall  sartin  see  'em 
up  dar." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so  ?  " 

"  Well,  Massa  Boomfield,  am  de  Lord  goin'  to 
take  back  any  good  thing  he  make  for  us,  as  if 
he  made  a  'stake,  specially  de  flowers,  which  am 
de  smile  ob  de  Lord — -de  expression  ob  His 
heart  ?  Am  de  Lord  not  goin'  to  smile  in  cle 
nex'  world  ? ' ' 

"  But  you  may  be  so  changed  as  not  to  need  the 
flowers  in  Heaven." 

"  Den,  sah,  I  shall  not  be  Tom,  and,  to  all  tense 
and  purposes  I  shall  not  be  dar.  Where  shall  I 
be?" 


58  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  If  there  is  not  continuity  enough  to  preserve 
your  identity  and  keep  you  still  Tom,  I  admit  it 
will  be  practical  annihilation.  But  you  will  know 
yourself,  Tom,  and  I  have  no  doubt  there  will  be 
something  in  the  next  life  to  correspond  with 
flowers — something  to  meet  the  want  they  supply 
here." 

"  You  say  somethin'  to  correspond  wid  'em, 
Massa  Boomfield  ;  dat  may  be  clear  nuff  to  de 
larned  lik  yousef,  but  to  me — member  I  say  to 
me,  Massa  Boomfield — dat  lack  definization,  and 
be  too  immaticular  and  scatterin'  for  my  poor 
heart  to  seize  on.  I  wants  de  flowers,  sah,  deir 
bery  selves." 

"  You  will  be  willing  to  see  something  much 
more  beautiful,  will  you  not  ?  " 

"  Dey  good  nuff  for  me  as  dey  is ;  but  if  de 
Lord  please  to  make  'em  finer  I  is  willin',  as  I  hope 
to  be  finer  up  dar  mysef ;  but  I  want  to  cognize 
'em  as  de  same,  so  when  I  meet  de  peony,  de 
violet,  de  rose,  de  pink,  et  cetra,  I  shall  know  'em 
as  a  ole  acquaintance,  and  not  find  'em  so  stuck 
up  as  to  gib  me  de  shivers  ober  a  friend  lost  for- 
ebber." 

"Oh,  Tom,"  cried  Miss  Blentwood,  "do  sing 
for  us,  '  Should  old  acquaintance  be  forgot.'  " 

"  Yes,  do,"  I  added,  "  it  will  cap  the  climax  to 
your  very  fine  argument.  I  am  delighted  that 
you  can  sing  it — the  very  song  for  the  occasion." 

Tom  was  evidently  pleased  and  readily  com 
menced  a  negro  version  of  the  above-mentioned 
song.  He  was  in  the  mood,  and  soon  forgot  all 


A   WALK  WITH  ETHEL.  59 


about  us,  so  lost  was  he  in  his  own  deep  and 
powerful  emotions.  There  was  little  or  nothing 
of  the  familiar  song  after  the  first  line  except  its 
repetition.  His  voice,  or  as  it  seemed  voices,  so 
quickly  did  it  change  from  far  to  near,  rose  and 
fell  unbroken,  like  the  waves  of  mid-ocean  after  a 
storm,  descending  at  times  to  a  mere  whisper, 
when  I  could  distinguish  only  disconnected  words 
such  as  "  gwine  away  .  .  ,  good-bye  .  .  ,  nebber 
forget."  Then  all  sound  would  cease  for  an  in 
stant,  and  commence  again  far  off,  and,  as  if 
imitating  a  return  of  the  tide  of  life,  slowly  swell 
louder  and  louder  in  volume  and  power,  but  never 
so  high  as  to  break  the  melody. 

All  this  time  there  was  so  much  action  of 
hands,  feet,  and  whole  body,  that  I  was  at  first 
amused,  then  charmed,  and  finally  carried  away 
on  the  swelling  tide  of  the  old  man's  feelings. 
The  waves  flowed  in  upon  me  so  hard,  they  had 
to  be  bailed  out  at  the  eyes,  and  I  began  to 
question  my  ability  to  reach  dry  land  gracefully  ! 
I  felt  rather  foolish  till,  looking  up,  I  saw  another 
bark  had  been  floundering  in  the  same  pathetic 
sea,  but  now  looking  all  the  more  beautiful  from 
the  washing  of  the  tide.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  and 
grasped  her  hand  before  I  thought  what  I  was 
doing,  and  said,  "You  look  as  if  you  were  going 
right  up  into  heaven,  Miss  Blentwood.  Please 
don't  leave  us  yet." 

She  smiled  and  blushed  ;  Tom  chuckled,  and 
then  we  all  laughed — laughed  ourselves  back  to 
the  hillside,  whence  we  had  been  swept  away  by 
the  musical  flood. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

OVERTAKEN   BY   DOCTOR   BLENTWOOD. 

\A/E  were  thanking  Tom  when  Miss  Blentwood 
exclaimed,  "Why,  there  is  father  at  last." 
And,  sure  enough,  he  was  right  upon  us. 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  my  long  delay,"  said 
he,  "  for  I  got  away  as  soon  as  I  could  from  a 
parishioner  who  had  pressing  business." 

Tom,  with  his  flowery  burden,  resumed  his 
journey  homeward,  while  the  doctor,  his  daugh 
ter  and  myself  started  on  our  circuitous  way  to 
the  river.  We  passed  up  a  little  higher  to  the 
brow  of  the  hill  to  get  a  more  extended  view 
of  the  country,  which  disclosed  a  beautiful  valley 
of  cultivated  fields,  orchards,  woods,  and  the 
suburbs  of  the  town,  on  the  outskirts  of  which 
nestled  the  lovely  home  of  Dr.  Blentwood,  with 
its  trees,  walks,  lawns  and  grapery,  and  the  river, 
not  too  far  off,  smiling  in  the  sunshine.  We 
descended  to  a  round  clump  of  pitch-pine  trees, 
which  loaded  the  air  with  a  grateful  fragrance, 
and  sat  down  on  some  rustic  seats  the  doctor  had 
placed  there. 

"  I  sometimes  think,"  said  the  doctor,  "  if  I 
could  live  here  continuously,  I  should  get  well 
and  strong.  Before  the  sun  has  drunk  up  the 

60 


OVERTAKEN  BY  DR.  BLENTWOOD.  6 1 


dew,  I  have  found  the  air  under  these  trees  so 
laden  with  healing  balm  as  to  produce  in  me  a 
grateful  sensation  at  every  breath.  I  occasion 
ally  prepare  a  sermon  here  ;  but  by  the  force  of 
habit  I  can  think  and  write  easier  in  my  study 
surrounded  by  my  books  and  pictures,  which 
create  around  me  a  sort  of  literary  and  religious 
atmosphere.  The  law  of  association  is  strong 
with  me." 

After  filling  our  lungs  with  long,  deep  breaths 
of  this  aromatic  air,  suggesting  to  Miss  Blentwood 
the  lines  of  Milton:  Here 

"  Gentle  gales, 

Fanning  their  odoriferous  wings,  dispense 
Native  perfumes," 

we  descended  to  the  river  and  out  to  a  projecting 
point  of  land,  the  right  arm  of  a  bay,  within 
which  I  recognized  my  boat  at  anchor  near  the 
shore.  I  looked  at  it  and  then  at  Miss  Blent 
wood,  and  asked,  "Where  was  I  when  —  when 
you  first  saw  me  ?  " 

"  About  there,"  she  answered,  pointing  her 
finger.  "  At  first  I  thought  the  boat  empty,  but 
soon  discovered  a  person,  apparently  asleep,  lying 
in  the  stern.  You  were  so  far  inland  that  I  saw 
you  would  be  clashed  on  the  rocks  and  over 
turned,  and  I  tried  to  awaken  you  by  singing, 
and  finally  shouted  as  loud  as  I  could  ;  but  you 
did  not  move,  and,  not  daring  to  wait  longer,  I 
plunged  in,  and  reached  you  in  season  to  tow  you 
into  this  little  harbor.  It  was  not  much  of  a  feat, 
but  was  opportune." 


62  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


I  gazed  long  at  the  rapids,  and  saw  clearly  that 
my  boat  could  not  have  lived  in  them,  and  that 
in  my  then  helpless  condition  I  must  have  been 
drowned  had  I  entered  them,  and,  not  daring  to 
look  upon  her  beautiful  face,  yet  feeling  the 
magnetism  of  her  presence,  I  continued  my  gaze 
towards  the  whirling,  tumbling  waters  till,  mas 
tering  my  emotions,  I  said  : 

"  Miss  Blentwood,  you  saved  my  life.  Whether 
it  was  worth  saving  the  future  alone  can  reveal ; 
but,  whatever  its  value,  I  owe  it  to  your  provi 
dential  presence,  to  your  noble  courage,  to — 

"  Please  don't,"  she  interrupted,  evidently  wish 
ing  to  blunt  the  edge  of  my  sense  of  obligation  ; 
it  was  a  very  simple  thing  to  do,  and  no  one 
whose  cowardice  was  not  of  the  meanest  type 
would  have  done  less.  I  was  glad,  however,  that 
my  father  had  taught  me  how  to  swim  when  a 
child." 

I  was  thinking  of  my  own  recent  experiences, 
but  roused  myself  to  add,  "  If  the  laws  of  nature 
were  more  reverently  and  obediently  studied  as 
the  laws  of  God,  accidents  on  land  or  sea  might 
become  almost  unknown." 

"  Why  are  we  put  into  a  world  of  such  un 
yielding  laws  and  dire  penalties?"  asked  Miss 
Blentwood. 

"  To  prevent  us,  by  learning  the  nobility  of 
obedience,  from  being  self-centered  and  wilful," 
replied  her  father,  and  then  added  solemnly,  "  It 
is  amazing,  when  we  come  to  think  of  it  sanely, 
how  many  have  to  be  bruised  by  repeated  punish- 


OVERTAKEN  BY  DR.  BLENT  WOOD.  63 

ments,  before  they  will  obey  the  behests  of  their 
highest  interests  !  " 

We  had  been  retracing  our  steps,  and  were 
now  standing  on  the  semicircular  shore  near  my 
boat  and  the  place  of  my  landing.  For  a  few 
moments  I  wished  I  were  alone  that  I  might 
think;  but  at  length  I  said  meclitatingly,  "  It 
seems  that  I  left  home  only  a  few  days  ago,  and 
how  much — yea,  how  long  I  have  lived  in  that 
time  !  " 

"  You  are  right,"  said  the  doctor  ;  "  for  length 
of  time  is  not  in  itself  length  of  life.  One  person 
may  live  as  long  in  a  few  clays  as  another  in  as 
many  years.  Not  clock  time  but  experiences, 
ideas,  deeds,  mark  real  life  and  tell  how  old  we 
are.  Rightly  speaking,  Ethel,  the  youngest  of 
us,  has  already  lived  longer  than  Methuselah." 

"What!      I    older     than    969    years,    father? 
said    Miss    Blentwood,    laughing.     "  It   is    rathei 
hard   to   reveal  a  lady's  age  that  way." 

The  doctor  smiled  good-naturedly,  and,  patting 
his  daughter  on  the  shoulder,  he  said,  "  I  must 
hold  to  the  truth  that  you  have  lived  longer  than 
Methuselah,  but  you  are  much  better  preserved  !  " 

"  I  low  apt  we  are  to  think  of  age  in  the  sense  of 
decay  instead  of  maturity,  breadth  of  experience 
and  knowledge  !  "  I  remarked. 

"  Swedenborg  has  a  very  pretty  idea  on  that 
point,"  said  Miss  Ethel.  "  In  his  vision,  °r 
entrance  into  the  other  world,  he  found  that  the 
oldest  person  in  heaven  was  the  youngest. 


64  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


The  doctor,  looking  at  his  watch,  declared  it 
was  time  to  be  moving  towards  dinner. 

We  clambered  up  the  bank,  where  Tom  had 
borne  me  in  my  helplessness,  and  walked  leisurely 
along  a  winding  path,  occasionally  stopping  to 
admire  a  beautiful  view  of  the  river  and  other 
scenery,  or  to  inspect  a  peculiar  growth  of  wood, 
when  we  came  to  a  high  wall,  which  recalled,  as 
from  a  dream,  my  thoughts  of  purgatory  and 
descent  where  Tom,  exhausted,  sank  with  me  in 
his  arms  to  the  ground,  and  he  and  Tot  had  sung 
me  to  sleep  so  self-forgetfully.  Turning  to  the 
left,  descending  a  flight  of  stone  steps,  wre  entered 
a  subterranean  passage  of  ancient  construction, 
thought  to  have  been  used  by  early  settlers  as  a 
refuge  from  the  Indians.  This,  by  the  aid  of  a 
little  masonry,  vines  and  climbing  roses,  the 
doctor  and  his  daughter  had  converted  into  a 
thing  of  picturesque  beauty  as  well  as  convenient 
passage-way  from  that  side  of  their  house. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A   SURPRISE. 

A  S  we  emerged  from  this  umbrageous  cavern 
•*^  I  was  charmed  and  delighted  by  the  unex 
pected  scene  spread  out  before  me.  Over  the 
mouth  of  the  grotto  and  along  the  wall  on  my 
right  hung  vines  and  flowers  in  beautiful  festoons. 
A  path  straight  ahead,  lined  on  either  side  by  a  low 
hedge  and  occasionally  overarched  by  trellised 
vines,  led  directly  to  a  sort  of  Irving  porch  connect 
ing  with  the  house  ;  while  another  path  wound  to 
the  left  between  shrubbery  and  flower-beds  to  a 
clump  of  maple  trees,  amply  provided  with  seats, 
on  the  bank  of  the  river.  Between  this  and  an 
other  clump,  and  parallel  with  the  river,  were 
two  rows  of  elms  within  which  was  tastefully 
spread  a  table,  from  the  centre  of  which  rose,  with 
delightful  effect,  the  top  of  the  very  tree  whose 
loveliness  I  had  enjoyed  a  few  hours  previous. 
Tom  and  Tot  had  been  diligently  at  work  all 
the  forenoon  to  make  the  table  and  accessories 
attractive,  and  they  certainly  had  succeeded. 

The  grotto,  flower-garden,  trees,  table  and  river 
formed  a  lovely  picture,  and  I  exclaimed,  "  Are 
we  in  paradise  ?  This  is  the  best  visible  sugges 
tion  of  it  I  have  ever  seen." 

5  65 


66  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  I  am  glad  the  grounds  please  you,"  said  Miss 
Blentwood  frankly  ;  "  have  you  nothing  to  criti 
cise  ?  " 

"  Nothing,"  I  replied.  "  My  ideal  is  satisfied.  I 
shall  have  to  grow  before  I  can  suggest  anything 
that  will  not  mar  rather  than  help  the  general 
effect,  which  is  indeed  charming.  Is  this  your 
work,  Miss  Blentwood  ?  " 

"  Partly,"  she  answered.  "  Father  calls  this  my 
outdoor  school,  and  I  have  had  full  power  to  do 
anything  I  liked  in  it  ;  and,  really,  I  think  I  have 
received  an  education  here,  which  the  schools 
alone  could  not  have  given  me.  I  have  had  to 
think  and  plan  for  myself — try  the  effect  of 
different  combinations,  and  study  successes  and 
failures — until  I  have  acquired  some  little  inde 
pendence  of  thought  and  critical  judgment,  which, 
though  small,  are  of  incalculable  value  to  me." 

"  Miss  Blentwood,"  I  said,  with  an  earnestness 
born  of  admiration,  "  I  hardly  know  which  to  con 
gratulate  most,  your  father  for  his  wisdom  and 
great  good  sense  in  providing  this  school,  or  you 
in  the  almost  marvelous  manner  you  have  wrought 
with  the  materials  and  opportunities  at  your  dis 
posal.  You  are  an  artist,  Miss  Blentwood,  with 
the  added  imagination  of  a  poet.  The  picture 
you  have  drawn  here  with  organic  and  inorganic 
matter,  is  exceedingly  beautiful,  and  more  crowded 
Jvith  suggestion  and  the  seeds  of  thought  than 
any  I  know  by  paint  or  brush.  Your  success 
makes  me  wonder  why  landscape  gardening  is  not 
made  more  of  a  study." 


A  SURPRISE.  67 


"Why  is  it,"  I  asked  Dr.  Blentwood,  who  that 
moment  came  up,  having  lagged  behind  studying 
the  peculiar  construction  of  a  leaf  and  doubtless 
drawing  therefrom  an  illustration  for  next 
Sunday's  sermon.  "  Why  is  it,  there  is  not  as 
much  enthusiastic  study  and  artistic  devotion 
given  to  the  creation  of  the  beautiful  in  nature 
as  in  marble  or  on  canvas  ?  Is  not  landscape 
gardening  worthy  of  a  place  among  the  profes 
sions  and  as  closely  allied  to  the  elevation  and 
happiness  of  the  human  race.1' 

"  I  think,"  answered  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  as  a 
study  and  a  lifelong  calling  it  should  take  high 
rank.  It  ought  to  be  taught  toe  in  some  of  our 
higher  institutions  of  learning,  but  how  to  teach 
it  practically  as  well  as  theoretically  ?  and  where  ? 
are  puzzles  to  me." 

"  Might  it  not  be  added  very  conveniently  to 
the  curriculum  of  our  agricultural  colleges?  The 
future  farmers  of  our  land  could  study  it  with 
perhaps  as  great  a  profit  as  any  other  class,  and 
though  none  of  them  might  follow  it  as  a  separate 
profession,  it  would  be  of  incalculable  advantage 
in  making  farm  life  attractive  and  rural  homes 
more  desirable,  and  secure  to  the  country  cultured 
people  and  the  very  best  society." 

"  Very  good,  Professor  Bloomfield  ;  but  what  are 
you  going  to  do  with  the  young  ladies  and 
especially  the  future  wives  of  these  farmers,  who 
need  the  uplift  and  refinement  which  comes  from 
this  aesthetic  culture?  " 

"  I  would  admit  them  also  to    the   same  classes 


68  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


and  privileges  with  these  possible  farmers,  and 
these  two  movements  or  innovations  would  boom 
the  agricultural  college  and  make  it  a  blessing 
indeed." 

"  I  believe  in  your  ideas,  Professor  Bloomfield, 
and  if  carried  out  somehow  and  somewhere,  one 
result  would  be  a  better  adornment  of  home  sur 
roundings  which  are  so  often  wickedly,  because 
needlessly,  neglected.  Our  homes  need  not  be 
more  expensive,  but  they  could  and  should  be  more 
attractive.  Especially  is  this  true  in  the  country, 
where  there  is  plenty  of  land  to  make  the  sur- 
soundings  delightful.  If  the  reform  you  have 
suggested  could  be  properly  and  successfully 
inaugurated  young  men  and  women  would  not,  as 
now,  be  educated  away  from  the  country,  but 
towards  the  country." 

"  Were  education  what  it  should  be,  so  that 
money-getting  would  let  go  its  present  grip,  and 
men  would  ascend  into  their  higher  natures,  and 
take  time  to  live  there,  and  learn  what  sources  of 
enjoyment  they  have,  how  much  more  happiness 
there  would  be  in  the  world  !  " 

"  Yes,  yes,  Brother  Bloomfield,  I  was  coming  to 
that.  Our  schools  and  colleges  really  touch  only 
a  part  of  the  man  or  woman  they  essay  to 
educate.  To  be  complete,  education  must  reach 
and  vivify  the  moral,  sesthetical  and  spiritual  fac 
ulties  as  well  as  the  intellectual  and  social. 
Could  this  be  thoroughly  accomplished,  as  it  must 
before  the  perfect  society  is  reached,  crime, 
insanity,  suicide,  oppression  and  strikes  would 


A  SURPRISE.  69 


gradually  disappear,  and  as  you  say,  happiness 
would  abound." 

"  I  cannot  see,"  said  Miss  Blentwood,  who  had 
been  a  most  attentive  listener,  "what  we  are  in 
this  world  for,  if  not  to  make  others  as  well  as 
ourselves  better  and  happier." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  "  as  the  first  step  towards  this 
consummation  so  devoutly  to  be  wished,  if  I  had 
abundance  of  means  I  would  purchase  a  hundred 
acres  of  land  and  materialize  my  idea  of  Paradise. 
I  would  consult  the  highest  ideals  and  build  a 
home  in  the  midst  of  grounds  so  lovely,  so  full 
of  spiritual  suggestion,  that  no  one  would  say, 
I  low  expensive!  how  magnificent!  but,  on  the 
contrary,  every  one  would  exclaim,  How  lovely  ! 
how  heavenly  !  The  buildings  and  grounds  should 
speak  not  a  word  of  ostentation,  but  volumes  of 
aesthetic,  moral,  social  and  spiritual  thought. 
They  should  appeal  to  the  entire  higher  nature — 
to  all  that  is  noblest  and  best  in  the  beholder. 
I  would  then  open  the  doors,  and  make  this 
home  a  source  of  spiritual  education  to  thou 
sands. 

"  The  schools  separate  men  by  making  them  un 
equal,  thereby  creating  divisions  in  families  and 
society,  which  religion  itself  finds  it  hard  to  re 
unite.  What  we  need  is  a  system  of  culture 
which  shall  draw  mankind  together  by  developing 
the  whole  higher  manhood  and  womanhood,  and 
it  should  be  my  aim  to  meet  this  felt  want  by 
daily  practical  instruction  in  landscape  gardening, 
the  laws  of  health,  food,  clothing,  economics,  and  in 


7o 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


mental,  moral  and  spiritual  philosophy.  I  would 
take  special  care  that  there  should  be  as  much 
heart  as  head  culture.  A  person  is  but  half 
educated,  who  has  only  an  intellectual  education. 
A  true  education  should  .increase  a  man's  re 
sources  for  happiness  as  well  as  for  action  ;  and 
happiness  rests  on  right  conditions  of  heart,  on 
character,  rather  than  on  head-culture.  It  seems 
strange  that  in  this  nineteenth  century  we  have 
gone  no  farther  in  our  ideas  of  education.  It  is 
true  our  schools  and  colleges  are  giving  attention 
to  physical  culture;  but  the  body  and  intellect 
are  only  parts  of  what  we  mean  by  manhood  and 
womanhood.  The  better  part  would  be  left  to 
starve  were  it  not  for  the  instruction  of  homes 
and  churches.  There  is  not  a  school  that  com 
prehends  in  its  system  of  education  the  develop 
ment  of  the  whole  individual." 

"  So  far  as  common  schools  are  concerned," 
said  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  I  suppose  it  is  the  theory 
of  the  state  that  it  has  no  right  to  carry  instruc 
tion  to  the  highest,  the  religious  faculties." 

"  Why  not  if  the  stability  of  our  government 
and  the  happiness  of  our  citizens  rest  more  on  the 
character  thereby  secured  than  upon  mere  intel 
lectual  and  physical  culture  ?  Has  not  the  state 
the  rights  of  self-preservation  ?  " 

"  Certainly  ;  but  the  fear  is  that  it  would  in 
fringe  on  the  legitimate  work  of  the  church  and 
the  liberty  of  the  individual." 

"  But  would  it  necessarily,  Dr.  Blentwood  ?  " 

"  I  think  not.     I  think  there  is  such  a  thing  as 


A  SURPRISE. 


spiritual  science,  which  may  be  taught  so  as  to 
draw  out  and  enlarge  and  enrich  the  higher  fac 
ulties  of  the  soul,  without  touching  denomi 
national  or  sectarian  lines,  and  without  any  union 
of  church  and  stat",  ' 


CHAPTER  IX. 

AN   OUTDOOR    DINNER. 

^TURNING  to  me,  Miss  Blentwood  said, 
"  Thinking  it  would  be  a  pleasure  for  you  to 
meet  our  esteemed  friend  and  physician,  Dr. 
Lightheart,  once  more  before  departing,  we  have 
invited  him  and  Mrs.  Lightheart  to  dine  with  us." 

Although  I  was  hoping  to  have  Ethel's  society 
more  exclusively,  I  appreciated  the  motive 
prompting  the  invitation,  and  made  my  acknowl 
edgments  accordingly.  I  had  hardly  finished 
before  she  was  hurrying  to  welcome  the  new 
comers,  and  we  all  met  at  the  table  at  the  same 
time. 

Dr.  Lightheart,  with  a  cordial  grasp  of  the  hand, 
expressed  gladness  at  seeing  me  so  well. 

"  You  could  not  have  been  laid  up  for  repairs 
in  a  more  delightful  spot  or  in  better  society," 
said  he,  borrowing  a  phrase  from  the  ship-yard 
and  looking  at  me  quizzically. 

I  felt  the  blood  rushing  to  my  cheeks,  and, 
without  daring  to  look  at  Miss  Ethel,  or  even  to 
look  up,  I  answered,  "  True,  Dr.  Lightheart,  but 
had  this  been  a  dreary  place  it  would  be  so  much 
easier  to  leave  it." 

Tom,  as  spokesman  for  Tot,  who  was  evidently 
72 


AN  OUTDOOR  DINNER.  73 


afraid  the  quality  of  her  meal  might  suffer  from 
further  delay,  bowing  his  most  graceful  bow,  said, 
"  De  dinner  am  waitin'  you  immediate  considera 
tion,  and  de  sooner  de  deglutition  take  place  de 
better  you  will  esteem  de  cook." 

Tom  grinned  as  if  he  had  got  off  a  good  speech, 
and  we  all  with  smiling  faces  gathered  around  the 
table,  and  while  standing  Dr.  Blentwood  repeated 
the  following  passage  of  Scripture:  "Bless  the 
Lord,  O  my  soul,  and  forget  not  all  His  benefits." 

Miss  Blentwood  added,  "They  that  seek  the 
Lord  shall  not  want  any  good  thing." 

The  outdoor  air  so  soft  and  balmy,  the  beau 
tiful  table,  delightful  scenery,  pleasant  company, 
cheerful  conversation,  and  the  rebound  of  my 
physical  nature  towards  health,  filled  me  at  once 
with  pleasure. 

I  was  not  at  that  time  aware  that  a  new  life 
was  already  springing  up  within  me,  like  the  seed 
in  the  warm  earth  before  its  tiny  blade  is  ob 
served  unfolding  above  the  surface. 

"  People  are  differently  constituted,"  said  Dr. 
Lighthcart,  after  we  were  seated,  "  and  all  rules 
have  their  exceptions,  I  suppose  ;  but  it  is  evi 
dently  God's  law  that  we  should  eat  in  company, 
and  I  don't  think  it  safe  to  break  it.  lie  has  set 
the  race  in  families,  and  I  believe  families  also 
should  mingle  together  oftener  than  they  do  at 
the  festive  board  on  occasions  like  this  for  the 
sake  of  good  cheer  and  good  digestion.  One 
thing  is  certain,  a  dyspeptic  should  rarely  dine 
alone  or  in  dull  company." 


74  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


I  ventured  to  look  at  Miss  Blentwood,  hoping 
she  would  speak,  not  so  much,  perhaps,  for  the 
sake  of  her  ideas  as  for  the  soft  tones  and  varied 
inflection  of  her  utterances,  which  had  come  to 
fall  on  my  ears  with  all  the  charm  of  musical 
notes.  Whether  there  was  an  electrical  commu 
nication  or  not,  our  eyes  met,  and  I  said  : 

"  Agreeable  emotions,  I  infer,  not  only  promote 
good  digestion  and  longevity,  but  have  a  moral 
mission  as  well." 

"  And,  therefore,"  Miss  Blentwood  responded, 
"housekeeping  should  be  studied  as  an  art,  and 
good  food,  like  fine  jewels,  should  have  attractive 
settings." 

"  Amen  ! "  almost  shouted  Dr.  Lightheart. 
"  The  future  reformer  will  begin  back  of  penal 
institutions  and  rescue  missions  in  the  home." 

"  Exactly,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  every  human 
being  has  or  should  have  the  right  of  being  well 
born,  and  then  the  right  to  healthy  food  and 
clean  air  and  sunlight,  and  an  occasional  view, 
at  least,  of  nature  dressed  in  her  most  lovely  ap 
parel." 

"  On  this  account,"  said  Miss  Blentwood,  "  the 
outing  given  to  the  poor  children  every  summer 
must  be  a  duty  as  well  as  an  inspiration  and  bless 
ing  to  them." 

"  Yes,"  responded  her  father,  "  but  the  older 
poor  should  be  included  in  these  outings.  The 
change  from  foul  basements  to  the  verdant  hill: 
and  sweet  valleys  and  native  woods  would  give 
them  a  new  lease  of  life,  physically  and  morally/ 


AN  OUTDOOR  DIA7NER. 


75 


and  this,  followed  by  improvement  of  home  envi 
ronment  and  wise  Christian  instruction,,  would  do 
much  towards  emptying  police  stations,  jails  and 
prisons." 

"  I  think,"  said  Mrs.  Lightheart,  who  had  hith 
erto  said  but  little,  "  low  people  are  foreordained 
to  be  the  coarse,  ill-bred,  reprobate  creatures  they 
are,  and  so  good  for  nothing  except  as  hewers  of 
wood  and  drawers  of  water  and  a  warning  to  others, 
and  your  puny  efforts  can't  change  them." 

"  God  can,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood. 

"  True,  but  why  don't  He?" 

"  Perhaps  it  is  because  you  and  I  and  others 
haven't  done  our  duty." 

"  Are  we  necessary  to  His  work,  Dr.  Blent 
wood  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  not,  bat  work  for  others  is  a  neces 
sary  schooling  for  us,  and  if  we  neglect  it  we  may 
be  no  better  than  those  we  affect  to  despise." 

"  How  can  that  be  ?" 

"  Well,  Mrs.  Lightheart,  you  and  I  may  daily 
grow  better  without  effort." 

Dr.   Lightheart  interrupted,  "  my  wife  can't." 

This  was  laughed  off  as  a  joke,  and  Dr.  Blent 
wood  resumed  :  "  The  idea  I  was  after  is  simply 
that  one  may  grow  better  without  effort,  because 
the  currents  of  his  being  run  towards  the  good, 
while  another  may  be  carried  towards  the  bad, 
though  he  struggle  hard,  because  inherited  ten 
dencies  are  too  strong  for  him.  Now  the  ques 
tion  is,  which  person  in  the  sight  of  God  has  the 
most  merit  ?  And  this  question  is  intensified  if 


7 6  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


the  person  of  good  tendencies  does  not  go  to  the 
relief  of  the  other.  Jesus  denounced  the  Phari 
see,  not  for  lack  of  outward  good  conduct,  but 
because  of  his  spiritual  pride  and  want  of  sympa 
thetic  helpfulness  towards  those  below  him." 

"  Well,  I  see  nothing  to  admire  in  a  man  who  is 
growing  worse,  anyway." 

"  That,  Mrs.  Lightheart,  may  be  because  you 
and  I  cannot  look  into  the  heart.  If  we  could  we 
might  see  something  heroic  and  even  beautiful, 
though  he  is  defeated  at  every  stand  he  makes,  as 
we  see  something  to  admire  in  the  soldiers  who 
fought  so  bravely  at  Bunker  Hill,  though  they 
were  defeated." 

"  But  that  defeat  was  a  virtual  victory,  wasn't 
it?" 

"  Yes,  and  so  every  struggle  in  the  human  heart 
is  a  partial  victory,  though  an  apparent  defeat. 
All  goodness  is  the  result  of  struggle  in  ourselves 
or  our  ancestors  ;  and  I  believe  God  cannot  afford 
and  will  not  allow  a  single  struggle  towards  the 
good  to  be  lost  on  the  character  of  him  who 
makes  it." 

Dr.  Lightheart  clapped  his  hands  and  said, 
"  That  is  why  publicans  and  harlots  may  go 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven  before  Pharisees. 
If  my  wife  would  make  one  struggle  to  allow  me 

oo 

3.  little  peace  in  my  home  I  should  have  more 
hopes  of  her.  I  think  I  ought  to  go  to  heaven 
lor  relieving  her  folks  of  the  plague  of  their  lives, 
and  yet  I  don't  want  to  go  if  she  goes  there  ;  I 
have  seen  enough  of  her  here  !  " 


AN  OUTDOOR  DINNER.  77 


"You  ought  to  be  thankful,"  replied  his  wife, 
that  you  have  somebody  to  train  you  and  make 
you  decent  ;  but  I  don't  hang  my  hopes  of  sal 
vation  on  my  good  works." 

"If  you  did,"  said  her  husband,  with  a  comical 
face  and  gesture,  "  your  poor  hopes  would  have 
to  fall  for  want  of  a  hook,  like  a  man's  clothes  in 
a  woman's  closet." 

After  a  little  more  good-natured  sparring,  in 
which  Mrs.  Lightheart  took  refuge  in  God's 
sovereignty,  Dr.  Blcntwood  said,  "It  is  evidently 
not  God's  plan  to  drive  people  into  the  kingdom 
of  His  love  and  service  ;  He  calls  for  volunteers. 
We  know  nothing  of  goodness  by  force.  By 
close  espionage  and  prison  walls  we  may  make  a 
man  outwardly  and  negatively  blameless,  but  un 
less  there  is  created  within  him  an  aspiration  and 
longing  after  the  good,  he  becomes  the  same  man 
when  restraint  is  removed,  as  before." 

"Our  work,  then,  is  to  lead  him  by  precept  and 
example  into  good  influences  and  to  awaken  con 
science,  is  it  not,  father?"  asked  Miss  Blent- 
wood. 

"  Precisely,"  was  the  reply.  "  Man's  freedom 
allows  him  to  put  himself  under  either  of  two  sets 
of  laws,  and  here  lies  the  opportunity  of  the 
Christian." 

"  Ethel,"  asked  Dr.  Lightheart,  "  where  will 
a  true  Christian  woman  commence  her  service, 
especially  by  example  ?  " 

"With  a  significant  smile  she  replied,  "  The  Chris 
tian  spirit  of  forbearance,  gentleness  and  love  in 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


man  or  woman  will  necessarily  appear  first  and 
always  at  home,  I  think." 

"  Like  the  mission  of  the  apostles,"  I  added,  "  it 
will  necessarily  commence  at  Jerusalem,  or  at 
home,  but  not  end  there." 

Mrs.  Lightheart  evidently  did  not  like  this  kind 
of  Christian  evidence ;  for  she  went  back  to  the 
subject  from  which  we  diverged  and  said,  "  If 
God  meant  to  save  the  degraded  classes  He  would 
have  made  them  worth  saving,  and  not  made  it 
so  repulsive  for  us  to  do  anything  for  them." 

"  Better  let  some  folks,  who  call  themselves 
saved,"  said  her  husband,  with  a  merry  twinkle  in 
his  eye,  "  ask  whether  there  is  sweetness  enough 
in  them  to  keep.  Just  think  of  a  sour,  crabbed, 
little  soul  living  forever,  and  in  heaven  !  If  she 
attempted  to  sing,  all  the  angels  would  stop  their 
harps  and  ask,  What  is  that  ? — Is  it  a  crow  ?  " 

"  Better  be  a  crow  in  heaven  than  a  turtle  in 
brimstone,"  retorted  his  wife. 

"  Oh,  what  a  talking  couple  !  "  exclaimed  Dr. 
Blentwoocl,  laughing  in  spite  of  himself.  He  added, 
"Whether  one  is  worth  saving  is  not  for  us  to  judge. 
According  to  Darwin  we  were  all  very  unpromis 
ing  specimens  of  humanity  once,  lower  than  the 
degraded  classes  you  referred  to  are  now." 

"  The  development  theory  is  contrary  to  the 
Bible,  doctor." 

"  No,  not  contrary  ;  it  is  simply  a  question  of 
method — whether  God  was  one  minute  or  thou 
sands  of  years  in  creating  man.  The  latter,  even 
more  than  the  other  method,  harmonizes  with 


AN  OUTDOOR  DINNER. 


79 


God's  known  plans,  and  better  shows  His  purpose 
to  have  been  eternal  rather  than  a  sudden  im 
pulse." 

"  Then  you  believe  in  a  theory  which  has  been 
called  one  of  infidelity,  Dr.  Blentwood  ?  " 

"  I  neither  believe  nor  disbelieve  it.  The 
scientific  facts  seem  to  lean  that  way,  and  I  am  in 
a  teachable  attitude,  as  all  lovers  of  truth  should 
be.  There  are  too  many  indocile,  intractable 
Christians  who  find  it  easier  to  cry  heresy  than  to 
search  honestly  for  the  truth,  and  so  reveal  only 
their  own  weakness  of  faith." 

"  Oh,  these  riders  on  the  coat-tails  of  progress!  " 
broke  out  Dr.  Lightheart.  "  They  once  affirmed  it 
to  be  rank  infidelity  to  believe  the  world  moved 
instead  of  the  sun  in  producing  day  and  night, 
and  the  phenomena  of  a  rising  and  setting  sun  !  " 

"  Independent  of  the  Darwinian  theory,  "  I  here 
asserted,  "  we  need  not  go  very  far  back  in  history 
to  find  our  Saxon  ancestors  clothed  in  bear-skins, 
and  living  in  huts  ;  and  if  God  had  not  watched 
over  and  tenderly  taught  them,  and  lifted  them 
and  succeeding  generations  higher  and  higher, 
where  would  we,  their  proud  Anglo-American 
descendants,  be  to-day  ?  " 

"  I  would  like  to  hear  some  good  possible 
reasons  why  God  started  the  human  race  so  low 
down,"  said  Miss  Blentwood. 

"  Aside  from  His  apparent  love  of  progress 
and  the  evidence  it  gives  of  1 1  is  eternal  working 
purpose,"  her  father  answered,  "  it  may  be  for 
man's  everlasting  happiness  to  be  able  to  trace 


8o  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


his  ascension  from  the  lowest  depths  to  the 
highest  attainable  good — from  the  hell  of  igno 
rance  and  selfish  passion  to  the  heaven  of  intel 
ligence  and  righteous  peace.  This  conscious 
progress  may  also  be  essential  to  man's  perma 
nency  and  freedom  in  goodness,  when  goodness 
is  acquired.  This  experience  was  wanting  in  the 
first  man,  and  that  explains  his  fall,  as  it  does  why 
so  many  children,  grown  up  in  ignorance  of  sin 
and  how  to  meet  it,  yield  to  the  very  first  temp 
tation  presenting  itself.  Like  a  weed  grown  up 
in  the  shade,  they  have  no  resisting  power. 
They  are  simply  moral  infants." 

"  Like  back-yard  toadstools  and  slaves  of 
majorities  in  politics  and  theology,  you  step  on 
them  and  they  acquiesce  !  "  said  Dr.  Lightheart 
laughing.  He  added,  "  But,  Dr.  Blentwood, 
granting  Darwinianism  to  be  substantially  true, 
is  not  Beecher's  remark,  that  the  race  fell  up 
instead  of  down,  correct  ?  " 

"  We  must  not  get  our  notion  of  Adam  or  the 
first  man  from  Milton,  as  many  do.  He  was 
simply  innocent,  like  a  child,  with  no  positive 
holiness,  and  when  he  took  possession  of  himself, 
so  to  speak,  to  think  for  himself  and  guide  him 
self,  he  lost  even  his  negative  innocence,  and  so 
had  to  go  down  before  he  could  rise  again,  as  a 
man  climbing  a  mountain  has  sometimes  to  go 
down  into  a  depression  before  he  can  go  up.  As 
the  mountain-climber  goes  higher  by  means  of 
his  descent,  so  man  rises  from  his  fall,  through 
the  inborn  spirit  of  Christ,  infinitely  higher  than 


AN  OUTDOOR  DINNER.  Si 

before ;  he  rises  into  positive  and  permanent  free 
dom  in  goodness." 

''  Is  that  the  only  sense  in  which  he  fell 
up?  " 

"  I  think,  Dr.  Lightheart,  no  one  can  rise  into 
the  highest  manhood  or  womanhood,  who  has 
not  the  spirit  or  disposition  of  Christ.  I  care 
not  for  mere  technicalities  or  sect,  or  however 
loud  the  profession  or  non-profession  ;  no  one 
who  has  not  the  love  exhibited  by  Jesus  of 
Nazareth,  and  creates  no  social  warmth  and  no 
sunshine  in  the  home  and  society,  can  rightfully 
be  called  a  Christian  or  a  real  true  man  or  woman. 
The  man  who  has  this  serving,  helpful,  glorious 
love-lit  disposition,  whatever  his  creed  or  want  of 
creed,  is  the  highest  style  of  man." 

"  Amen,"  said  I,  in  approval.  "  How  much 
better  it  would  be  for  the  good  name  of  Chris 
tianity  and  the  progress  of  the  world  in  all  that 
goes  to  make  heaven  here  and  hereafter,  if  man 
ifesting  the  spirit  of  Christ  should  become  the 
chief  creed  subscribed  to  by  the  churches  !  : 

"  If  I  was  a  young  man,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood, 
with  tears  in  his  voice,  "  I  would  start  a  church 
with  a  creed  something  like  that.  I  should  feel 
that  I  was  working  for  Christ  indeed,  and  for  the 
glory  of  God,  because  for  the  glory  of  man  ;  but 
my  work  is  about  done,  and  my  opportunity  is 
passed." 

Tears  stood  in  the  good  man's  eyes,  and  I 
silently  prayed  that  health  might  be  given  him 
and  his  life  be  prolonged  ;  and,  as  I  looked  into 
6 


g2  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Ethel's  sympathetic  face,  tears  sprang  into  my 
own  eyes  also. 

"  Well,"  spoke  up  Mrs.  Lightheart,  in  a  voice 
as  dry  as  summer  dust  and  about  as  comforting 
as  the  hottest  sirocco  that  ever  blew,  "  I  believe 
the  church  is  composed  of  the  elect,  and  a  pastor's 
duty  is  to  encourage  the  church  and  not  the  non- 
elect  by  any  twaddle  about  disposition.  Don't 
you  believe  in  election,  Professor  Bloomfield  ?  " 

I  answered,  that  I  believed  the  elect  are  who 
soever  will,  and  the  non-elect  are  whosoever  will 
not. 

"  It  isn't  a  question  of  will  or  wrill  not,  but  one 
of  election  of  the  Lord,"  she  replied  hotly.  "And, 
furthermore,  I  think  the  more  silly  notions  you 
put  into  the  heads  of  the  non-elect,  especially  of 
the  degraded  classes,  the  more  they  will  suffer  in 
this  world  and  the  next.  All  they  are  fit  for  is 
to  serve  the  elect  and  as  a  warning." 

"  You  see  the  use  she  has  for  me  ;  and  may 
imagine  the  solid  comfort  she  takes  in  that  be 
lief  !  "  said  her  husband,  with  a  mixture  of  irony 
and  an  expression  I  could  not  understand. 

"  Have  you,"  asked  Dr.  Blentwood,  with  pity 
ing  pathos,  "  ever  looked  teachably  with  Peter 
into  the  sheet  of  creeping  things  let  down  to 
him  from  heaven,  and  which  convinced  him  that 
he  should  labor  for  the  lowest  as  well  as  the 
highest  ? 

Before  she  could  answer,  Miss  Blentwood  ex 
claimed,  "  Excuse  me,  but  do  see  that  beautiful 
cloud  !  How  peculiarly  white  and  fleecy  it  is  !  " 


AN  OUTDOOR  DINNER.  8? 


All  looked,  and  all  admired.  "  Was  anything 
ever  finer  ?  "  asked  Mrs.  Lightheart,  with  as  near 
approach  to  ecstasy  as  she  was  probably  capable. 

"  That  cloud,"  I  asserted,  "  has  risen  for  Mrs. 
Lightheart's  benefit." 

"  How  so  ?  "  she  asked. 

"  Well,  as  the  first  step  to  an  answer,  let  me 
ask  Dr.  Lightheart,  as  a  scientific  man,  where 
that  cloud  came  from  ?  " 

"  Very  likely,"  he  replied,  "  from  the  filthy 
pools  and  miasmatic  swamps,  in  the  vicinity  of 
which  I  have  dealt  out  so  much  quinine." 

"  Now,  Mrs.  Lightheart,"  I  said,  "  the  same 
power  that  raised  that  cloud  from  filth  to  purity, 
can  raise,  and  does  raise,  the  ignorant,  sinful  soul, 
and  make  it  clean  and  beautiful,  fit  for  the  society 
of  angels." 

"  I  don't  dispute  God's  power,"  responded  Mrs. 
Lightheart,  "but  I  don't  think  lie  requires  re 
fined  people  to  soil  their  pure  feelings  by  labor 
ing  among  such  characters  ;  it  is  so  shocking  to 
one  of  elegant  taste  and  delicate  sensibilities,  you 
know.  I  think  the  coarse  should  labor  for  the 
coarse." 

"  I  agree  with  so  much  of  homoeopathy  as  is 
contained  in  the  last  sentence,"  said  her  husband 
laughing.  "  I  am  always  glad  when  I  can  agree 
with  my  wife.  As  a  rule  the  morally  degraded 
can  be  more  successfully  reached  by  those  of  like 
ways  of  thinking." 

"  Very  likely,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood,  "  but  does 
that  relieve  the  refined  classes  of  responsibility?" 


84  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Certainly  not.  They  can  set  the  wheels  of 
benevolence  in  motion,  superintend  their  opera 
tion,  and  work  where  they  can  fit  in." 

"  Do  your  remarks  find  any  confirmation  in 
the  fact  that  the  heathen  prefer  native  preachers, 
and  that  negroes  of  the  South  prefer  teachers  of 
their  own  race  ?  "  asked  Miss  Blentwood. 

"  The  question  of  refinement  does  not  come  in 
there  so  much  as  race  prejudice,"  said  her  father; 
"  but  there  may  be  force  in  the  argument  of 
adaptability  of  kind  to  kind,  and  the  feeling  ex 
pressed  in  the  phrase,  He  is  one  of  us." 

"  But,"  I  asked,  "  cannot  men  and  women  of 
true  refinement  do  successful  work  among  the 
lower  classes  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  that  would  shock  their  nerves,"  answered 
Dr.  Lightheart  laughing. 

"  Jesus  of  Nazareth,"  I  went  on,  "  was  our 
highest  ideal  of  a  perfect  man,  and  therefore 
must  have  had  the  finest,  keenest  sensibilities — 
no  soul  ever  recoiling  with  such  tremendous 
repulsion  from  contact  with  sin  as  did  His — and 
yet  He  drew  the  degraded  classes  to  Him,  and 
won  their  confidence — their  joyful,  unstinted,  ex 
uberant  love.  Does  not  this  prove  that  a  man  of 
real,  true  culture,  and  not  a  dilettante — a  man  of 
roundabout,  sanctified  common-sense — can  bring 

o 

himself  down  into  sympathetic  and  effectual  work 
for  any  class  of  society  ?  ' 

"  It  would  seem  so,"  Dr.  Lightheart  answered, 
with  a  squint  towards  his  wife  ;  "  but  the  trouble 
with  over-refined  people  is  that  they  haven't 


AN  OUTDOOR  DINNER.  85 

sanctified  common  sense,  or  much  of  any  other 
kind  of  sense.  Their  culture,  instead  of  improv 
ing  and  properly  embellishing  the  quality,  has 
only  worn  away  the  substance,  and  left  them 
more  useless  than  before." 

Whether  his  wife  took  this  remark  as  having 
any  reference  to  herself,  I  could  not  tell,  for,  at 
this  juncture,  a  messenger  came  announcing  com 
pany  and  a  patient  for  the  Lighthcarts.  Our 
repast  was  over.  Mrs.  Lightheart,  rising,  ad 
dressed  Miss  Blentwood  petulantly,  but  with  a 
voice  thinly  sugar-coated  by  an  affected  smile  and 
grace  of  attitude  and  gesture,  "  My  company  al 
ways  come  inopportunely  ;  I  hope  you  are  more 
fortunate." 

"  My  friends  never  come  inopportunely  for 
we,"  Miss  Blentwood  responded,  smiling,  "  but 
perhaps  they  often  do  for  themselves,  as  I  cannot 
always  serve  them  as  I  would  like.  I  think,  how 
ever,  that  sensible  people,  whose  opinions  we 
value,  can  make  allowances  for  circumstances  over 
which  we  have  no  control." 

"Well,"  continued  Mrs.  Lightheart,  with  vexa 
tion  clearly  marked  beneath  the  smirk  of  her  thin 
lips,  "  my  company  never  come  when  I  want 
them.  As  sure  as  I  set  out  for  a  good  time  by 
myself  or  with  others,  company  or  something  else 
is  sure  to  come  and  spoil  all  my  plans." 

Here,  I  thought,  is  a  great  gulf  between  these 
two  women,  as  "  fixed  "  as  that  between  Lazarus 
and  the  rich  man  :  for  no  thought  or  feeling  in 
common  can  pass  over  from  one  to  the  other. 


86  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


Ethel's  remark  had  contained  an  implied,  but 
unconscious  rebuke — unconscious,  because  her 
limpid  eyes  told  of  a  heart  too  tender  to  offend. 
Her  evident  frankness,  purity  of  motive,  gentle, 
unselfish  spirit  and  sweet  thoughtfulness  for 
others  opened  to  me  more  and  more  as  I  gazed 
admiringly  upon  her.  I  was  so  entranced  I  al 
most  forgot  my  manners,  and  scarcely  rose  in 
time  to  wave  my  hand  in  farewell  as  the  Light- 
hearts  departed,  and  Dr.  Blentwood  with  them, 
the  latter  communicating  something  confidential 
to  his  physician. 


CHAPTER  X. 

A    PHILOSOPHICAL    DIALOGUE. 

ETHEL  BLENTWOOD  and  I  were  alone,  stand 
ing  on  nearly  opposite  sides  of  the  table,  she 
watching  the  retiring  guests  and  I  watching  her. 
Whether  there  is  such  a  thing  as  silent  communi 
cation  of  mind  with  mind  or  not  the  blood 
mounted  to  her  cheeks,  and,  though  she  was 
looking  away  from  me,  I  felt  conscious  of  the 
touch  of  a  kindred  spirit,  The  thrill  was  so 
marked,  I  thought  of  one,  who,  in  merely  touch 
ing  the  hem  of  Jesus'  garment,  touched  Him  also. 
In  a  transport  of  ecstasy,  I  thought,  half  audibly 
I  fear,  "  Beautiful  !  beautiful  !  " 

She  turned  towards  me  with  an  inquiring  but 
softening  look  in  her  long-lashed  blue  eyes  full 
of  magnetic  scintillations.  With  some  confusion 
I  asked,  "  Do  you  believe  in  visions,  Miss  Blent- 
wood  ?  " 

"  In  a  limited  sense,"  she  answered,  smiling. 

"  To  be  more  definite,"  I  continued,  modifying 
my  intended  statement  a  little,  "  I  think  there 
are  times  which  come  to  us  all,  when  there  opens 
to  us  the  best  thing  possible  for  us  to  be  and  to 
pursue  ;  and  if  we  accept  nothing  lower,  but  can 

87 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


say  in  after  years,  like  Paul,  '  I  was  not  disobedi 
ent  to  the  heavenly  vision/  glorious  will  it  be  for 
us." 

"  I  believe  that,"  she  said  earnestly,  "  but  the 
trouble  is  worldly  ambition  leads  so  very  many 
to  accept  something  lower  than  the  best  pos 
sible." 

"  Precisely,"  I  assented,  "  and  since  there  are  so 
many,  you  will  not  consider  me  uncharitable, 
when  I  say  we  have  had  a  case  in  point  this  after 
noon.  Mrs.  Lightheart  likes  to  go  to  church  in 
rich  attire,  with  nice,  genteel  people,  and,  though 
she  hears  the  Christ  preached,  is  very  careful  to 
be  as  unlike  Him  as  possible." 

"  She  is  called  a  very  elegant  and  stylish  lady," 
said  Ethel,  with  a  troubled  look  in  her  eyes. 

"  Undoubtedly,"  I  responded,  "  and  therein  lies 
her  ambition,  which  not  only  perverts  and  dwarfs 
her  own  higher  impulses,  but  the  impulses  of 
those  who  have  placed  in  her  their  confidence  and 
love.  When  a  beautiful  face  and  an  elegant  form 
inspire  in  others  only  a  love  for  elegance  and 
fashion,  then,  indeed,  are  those  gifts  pernicious. 
On  the  other  hand,  what  a  force  for  good  a 
woman  can  exert  whose  mind  is  as  beautiful  as 
her  face  and  figure,  and  can  inspire  in  man  a 
passion  which  shall  flow  in  the  same  general 
direction  with  the  noblest  aims  and  possibilities ! 
Such  a  woman  can  make  a  great  life-task  easier, 
carrying,  as  she  does,  a  benediction  in  her  very 
presence." 

"  Is  not  the  converse  of  this  also  true?  "  asked 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE.  89 


Ethel.  "  Arc  not  the  nobler  aspirations  of  woman 
kindled  or  depressed  in  the  same  way  ?  " 

"True,"  I  admitted,  "  but  where  is  the  beauti 
ful  woman  who  chooses  a  mission  for  herself  to 
be  helped  or  depressed  ?  She  is  apt  to  rest  satis 
fied  with  her  beauty  and  to  have  no  higher  ambi 
tion  than  to  be  mistress  of  a  fine  home,  live  in 
luxury,  with  everything  at  her  command,  and  en 
joy  a  sort  of  lavender-water  existence  !  Nothing 
but  the  smallpox,  leaving  the  pits  deep  in  her 
face,  can  save  her  from  utter  worthlessncss." 

"  You  do  not  believe  much  in  beautiful  wo 
men,"  she  said,  with  a  faint  smile. 

"  There  are  noble  exceptions,"  I  responded ; 
"  in  them  I  believe.  But  as  a  general  rule,  it  is 
the  plainer  girl  that  stores  her  mind  with  useful 
thoughts,  and  is  willing  and  ready  to  make  sacri 
fices  for  the  sake  of  truth  and  righteousness. 
She  is  the  one  capable  of  seeing  something 
higher  than  personal  adornment — of  choosing  or 
accepting  the  harder  tasks  of  life  for  the  good 
she  can  do." 

"  Do  you  not  think  it  a  duty,  Professor  Bloom- 
field,  to  make  one's  self  as  attractive  as  possible, 
consistent  with  other  duties?  " 

"  Certainly,  Miss  Blentwood." 

"  Do  you  not  also  think  it  proper  to  get  as 
much  enjoyment  out  of  life  as  possible,  consistent 
with  the  faithful  discharge  of  duty  to  God  and 
mankind  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly  ;  I  am  no  stoic.  I  quarrel 
with  no  delight  which  is  not  base.  I  love  the 


9° 


SHIPS  BY  DA  Y. 


innocent  pleasures  and  comforts  of  life,  and  resist 
their  blandishments  only  when  they  would  step 
between  me  and  duty  to  myself  and  others.  But 
it  is  not  well  to  live  altogether  in  one  class  of  soci 
ety  however  enjoyable.  We  must  have  the  low 
tones  as  well  as  the  high.  Life's  tenor,  some  one 
has  said,  has  its  bass,  and  its  soprano  has  its  alto, 
in  a  full-choired  humanity.  Mine  shall  not  be  a 
chained  and  bent  and  visionless  life,  but  it  must  be 
one  of  comparative  poverty." 

"How  so?"  she  asked,  with  agitation. 

"  Well,  to  begin  with,  my  taste  would  be  satis 
fied  only  with  elegant  surroundings,  and  all  the 
privileges  of  art  and  travel ;  and,  indeed,  I  am  so 
full  of  hungry  passions,  it  would  take  so  many 
things  to  satisfy  me  that  I  dare  not  seek  them.  I 
should  want  to  win,  and  in  elbowing  my  way  among 
other  seekers,  there  might  be  great  temptation  to 
wink  at  the  wrongly-held  notions  of  commercial 
honesty,  and  pocket  the  proceeds,  thereby  losing 
that  fine  conscientiousness  which  is  essential  to 
true  manhood  and  real  life." 

"  Do  you  think  the  temptations  you  refer  to 
are  found  in  the  ministry  ?  Why  would  not  a 
pastorate  be  the  very  place,  and  most  congenial 
too,  where  a  person  of  your  talent,  culture  and 
taste  could  be  the  most  useful  ?  " 

"  I  have  great  respect  for  the  true  pastor ;  but 
even  in  the  ministry  there  is  too  much  sanctified 
selfishness,  too  much  unholy  ambition  for  place 
and  power,  too  much  temptation  to  nurse  denomi 
national  pride,  and  the  pride  of  oratorical  dis- 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE. 


play  to  meet  the  demand  for  mere  entertainment 
from  the  pulpit,  rather  than  self-forgetfulness  in 
seeking1  the  good  of  others.  In  short,  there  is 
a  temptation  to  wire-pulling  and  to  put  one's 
unworldly  aspirations  in  pawn  for  the  sake  of  a 
rich  pastorate,  big  salary  and  all  the  refined  com 
forts  of  a  worldly  life.  I  prefer  to  work  where  I 
know  I  am  actuated  only  by  the  purest  motives." 
She  was  looking  sweetly  thoughtful,  and,  as  I 
paused,  said  with  a  gratified  smile,  "  You  are 
much  like  my  father. 

"  '  lie  would  not  flatter  Neptune  for  his  trident, 

Or  Jove  for  his  power  to  thunder.     His  heart's  his  mouth.' 

You   implied   there   were  other  reasons,  for   self- 
renunciation,  I  think." 

"  Yes,  we  are  debtors  to  the  ignorant  and 
debased  as  well  as  to  the  wise  and  the  good  ;  for 
we  all  belong  to  one  common  humanity.  Those 
below  me  have  the  right  to  ask  me  to  let  down 
my  hand  and  lift  them  up  to  where  I  stand,  as  I 
have  the  right  to  ask  those  above  me  to  help  me 
to  their  better  footing.  Now  the  church  is  not 
doing  this  work  as  it  might  and  ought.  Christian 
ity  encamps  in  costly  church  edifices,  and  says  to 
the  poor,  Come  and  be  converted  ;  whereas  Jesus, 
its  author,  went  about  doing  good,  carrying 
Christianity  to  the  very  homes  and  hearts  of  the 
needy,  lie  mingled  with  the  neglected  classes, 
ate  with  them,  talked  with  them,  slept  in  their 
humble  abodes,  and,  by  precept  and  example, 
taught  them  the  way  of  life.  The  poorly  clothed 


SHU'S  BY  DAY. 


say  they  cannot  feel  at  home  in  fine  churches 
and  among  the  well-dressed.  They  need  a  living 
gospel  brought  to  them  by  warm  hearts  full  of  the 
blood  and  nerve  of  human  sympathy  to  help  them 
out  of  their  low  environment  and  wretched  state 
of  body  and  mind.  Not  feeling  the  need  of  a  phy 
sician,  they  will  not  call  one,  or  come  to  your 
office  to  be  healed.  Somebody  must  go  and  con 
vince  them.  Who  will  go  ?  Why  not  I  ?  I  fear 
necessity  is  laid  upon  me." 

I  suppose  I  spoke  with  some  enthusiasm,  for 
she  said,  with  glowing  cheeks,  "  You  seem  in 
spired.  I  feel  the  force  of  your  words.  Some 
body  should  go,  certainly,  but  at  first  thought  it 
seems  rather  hard  that  one  of  fine  abilities  and 
culture,  to  whom  beautiful  surroundings  con 
stitute  a  native  element,  should  forego  these  to 
come  in  contact  with  harsh  people  and  harsher 
surroundings,  that  act  upon  one  like  a  rasp  lascerat- 
ing  the  tender  flesh  and  often  wounding  still 
deeper  the  tender  spirit." 

"  Do  you  think  one  need  be  necessarily  unhappy 
in  such  a  work?  "  I  asked. 

"  No,"  she  said  thoughtfully,  "  but  the  work 
will  require  great  patience,  a  noble  self-poise  and 
constant  rill-like  out-flowings  of  goodness  ;  and 
where  the  soul  of  the  worker  is  large,  fed  by  deep, 
springs  of  love,  fired  by  passionate  devotion,  and 
sustained  by  an  abiding,  unwavering  faith  in  the 
beneficent  purposes  of  God,  I  can  see  not  only 
satisfaction  but  even  happiness — not  the  noisy, 
light-hearted  happiness  of  an  easier  life,  perhaps, 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE.  93 


but  possibly  deeper,  sweeter,  more  abiding  and 
comforting.  I  believe  a  luminous,  all-submerging 
joy  flo\vs  back  upon  the  soul  in  divine  compensa 
tion  for  every  truly  beneficent  expenditure  ;  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  poor  happiness  that  hovers 
around  self,  like  the  foolish  moth  fluttering  about 
the  blaze  of  a  lamp,  soon  dies  from  its  own  suicidal 
folly.  Indeed,  a  life  with  no  sacrifice  in  it  has  no 
beauty,  no  nobleness,  no  attractions  in  it  that  I 
can  see." 

As  she  paused  her  face  was  all  aglow  with 
spiritual  light.  I  had  not  seen  her  look  so 
beautiful.  It  was  not  the  beauty  of  color  and 
well-formed  features,  though  she  had  these,  that 
charmed  me  ;  it  was  something  deeper — the  all- 
anirnating  almost  divine  expression,  the  heaven- 
born  spirit  speaking  through  her  physical  loveli 
ness,  giving  it  meaning  and  power,  as  if  an  angel 
were  looking  through  her  eyes  and  angelic  light 
radiating  from  her  countenance.  I  felt  an  inward 
uplift,  a  heart-drawing,  the  kindling  of  a  new 
strange  feeling. 

Mere,  I  thought,  is  one  instance,  at  least,  of  a 
woman  combining  remarkable  intellectual  strength 
with  great  beauty  of  face  and  disposition.  Unlike 
many  also,  her  large  mental  powers  do  not  absorb 
her  womanly  nature.  She  preserves  all  the  charm 
of  girlhood  with  its  transparent  frankness,  its 
tender,  innocent,  unstudied  ways,  so  attractive  to 
a  man  who  sees  so  many  calculating  eyes  and  hears 
so  many  measured  utterances.  What  charm  of 
child-like  simplicity  linked  to  depth  of  soul,  nobil- 


94 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


ity  of  purpose  and  correctness  of  judgment,  all 
glorified  by  a  true  Christian  culture  and  the  dis 
cipline  of  domestic  love  !  With  her  as  my  other 
self,  my  needed  better  half,  my  life  would  become 
completely  rounded.  I  longed  to  express  my  in 
most  feelings.  But  no,  I  thought,  she  does  not 
know  me  as  I  know  her ;  for  her  whole  nature  is 
so  guileless,  so  generous,  so  true,  that  there  is 
nothing  covered  to  be  unpleasantly  revealed  by 
any  future  experience,  whereas  I  may  not  be  so 
clearly  read.  Besides,  what  have  I  to  offer  her 
except  a  loving  heart,  a  fair  amount  of  brains  and 
a  life  of  service  to  others  ?  No,  no,  that  will  never 
do.  Oh  !  if  I  could  devote  my  talents  to  surround 
her  with  the  beauties  and  comforts  of  life  ;  but  I 
cannot  live  for  wealth.  I  must  do  my  life-work, 
and  it  would  be  mean  to  seek  to  link  her  life  with 
mine  for  the  sake  of  my  own  happiness.  But,  I 
argued  with  myself,  she  would  make  my  life  a 
fuller  and  more  useful  one.  Yes,  but  at  an  awful 
sacrifice  to  her.  Would  she  feel  it  a  sacrifice? 
Perhaps  not,  for  she  will  live  nobly  whoever  she 
marries  ;  but  there  are  so  many  paths  it  would  not 
be  right  to  divert  her  steps  into  the  hardest  one. 
when  she  might  be  even  more  useful  in  the 
easiest. 

She  looked  up,  and  I  had  to  cut  short  these 
reflections,  which  had  run  much  more  rapidly 
through  my  mind  than  I  have  portrayed  them. 
It  seemed  to  me  that  a  heaven  of  purity  and 
peace  was  looking  out  of  the  calm  depths  of  those 
liquid  eyes.  I  said,  rather  tremulously,  "  Miss 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE. 


95 


Blentwood,  if  I  believed  in  the  transmigration  of 
souls,  I  should  think  I  had  been  acquainted  with 
you  in  some  other  sphere  a  thousand  years !  " 

"  It  does  seem  impossible,"  she  said  smiling, 
"  that  we  have  known  each  other  so  short  a  time. 
Can  you  tell  why  it  is  that  we  become  acquainted 
with  some  persons  more  thoroughly  in  a  few  hours 
than  with  others  in  as  many  years,  the  latter  per 
haps  never  being  known  to  us?  " 

"  Some  souls,"  I  replied,  "are  printed  in  minion 
type,  and  others  in  capitals,  some  on  blurred 
paper  and  others  on  clean." 

"Yes,"  she  assented,  "but  there  arc  some 
excellent  people  with  whom  it  is  hard  to  get 
acquainted." 

"  Very  true,"  I  said,  "  but  the  closed  human 
volumes,  that  open  only  a  page  at  a  time,  maybe 
very  judicious  and  very  correct  and  proper  ;  but 
I  like  an  open  book,  as  I  do  an  open  Bible,  which 
seems  to  say,  Read  the  whole  story  at  once  or  a 
portion  anywhere  you  wish." 

"  I  like  that  kind  too,"  she  said,  with  a  pleased 
look,  "  but  may  not  some  keep  the  volume  closed 
from  self-depreciation,  thinking  they  have  noth 
ing  a  stranger  would  be  interested  in?" 

"  Perhaps,"  I  admitted  ;  "  but  more  because 
they  dare  not  reveal  themselves.  The  experi 
ence  which  has  turned  the  leaves  of  their  souls 
has  been  wholly  selfish.  And  that  reminds  me 
of  the  many  whose  pages  are  so  blotted  by  sin 
that  they  themselves  do  not  know  what  is  in  the 
volume  of  their  own  souls." 


96  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 

"  How  can  they,"  she  asked  in  Scripture  phrase, 
"  unless  they  be  taught  ?  " 

"  And  how  can  they  be  taught,"  I  added, 
"  without  a  teacher  ?  " 

"  And  how  can  one  teach,"  she  smiling  asked 
again,  "  unless  sent  ?  " 

This  gave  me  a  good  chance  to  say,  "  You  are 
qualified  for  the  work  ;  how  do  you  know  that 
you  are  not  sent  ?  " 

She  looked  a  little  surprised,  and  then  replied, 
"  You  have  too  high  an  opinion  of  me;  but,  ad 
mitting  for  the  moment,  that  I  have  the  requisite 
qualifications,  is  that  an  evidence  that  I  am 
called  ?  " 

"  So  far  as  it  goes,"  I  answered. 

"  And  how  far  is  that  ?  " 

"  It  holds  good,  I  think,  Miss  Blentwood,  till 
you  discover  that  you  have  other  qualifications 
better  fitting  you  for  another  sphere  of  useful 
ness.  Have  you  never  felt  drawn  towards  some 
such  work  ?  " 

She  merely  quoted,  in  answer,  Dr.  Holland: 

"  I  count  this  thing  to  be  grandly  true, 
That  a  noble  deed  is  a  step  towards  God." 

"  I  felt  sure,  Miss  Blentwood,  you  had  a  clear 
perception  of  what  it  is  to  live  sublimely  ;  but,  if 
you  will  allow  me  the  question,  can  you  imagine 
yourself  deliberately  choosing  a  hard  lot,  in  pref 
erence  to  an  easy  one,  for  the  sake  of  so  living?" 

"  I  can  imagine  it,"  she  answered  gravely.  "  A 
life  of  elegant  ease  in  the  absence  of  high  demand 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE.  97 


would  seem  both  monotonous  and  wasteful  to  inc. 
It  would  cheapen  life  and  take  away  its  elixir,  its 
deeper  relish.  I  should  feel  that  an  atmosphere 
of  moral  mediocrity  was  settling  clown  over  all 
my  prospects,  nullifying  my  better  ambition,  sti 
fling  my  highest  aspirations,  and  preventing  me 
from  fulfilling  the  obligations  of  my  existence. 
But,  while  I  should  not  like  a  silken  bondage, 
which  arrests  all  motive,  I  have  no  love  for  a  hard 
lot  and  contact  with  sordid  vulgarity  in  them 
selves  considered  ;  and  the  only  relief  to  such  a 
dark  picture,  would  be  the  keeping  my  eye  fixed 
on  the  moral  beauty  to  spring  up  beneath  this 
harsh  contact,  under  the  sanction  of  the  Master, 
whose  example  I  followed,  and  the  consciousness 
that,  however  slow  it  might  show  itself  in  spiritual 
refinement,  the  leaven  would  go  on  under  God's 
eye  blessing  individuals  and  their  homes." 

Her  words  drew  me  by  a  power  I  could  not 
clearly  define,  something  beyond  the  resources  of 
expression.  I  only  knew  she  was  perfectly  lovely 
to  me,  with  a  glorified  human  light  shining  forth 
from  every  feature.  When  a  woman  first  gives 
embodiment  and  life  to  our  day-dreams  and 
shadow}'  conceptions  of  ail  that  is  truest  and 
best,  she  fills  a  void  in  our  spiritual  nature,  till 
then,  perhaps,  unknown,  because  we  realize  the 
fulfilment  in  her  of  our  prophetic  longings. 

She  raised  her  truthful,  innocent,  blue  eyes  to 

mine  ;   I  felt  their  magnetism,  and  dared  not  speak 

for  a  moment,  lest  I  should  forget  the  proprieties 

belonging  to  a  short  acquaintance,  and  was  glad 

7 


g 8  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  avail  myself  of  the  sight  of  Pomp  to  refer  to 
him.  Ethel  laughed  so  brightly,  that  it  seemed 
a  part  of  the  very  sunlight  which  at  that  moment 
shimmered  and  rippled  through  the  leaves  of  the 
trees  upon  her  fair  face. 

"  You  ought  to  have  seen  him,"  she  said,  "  after 
he  had  tumbled  downstairs  on  his  return  from 
your  room,  where  he  had  been  sent  to  see  if  you 
were  awake.  He  rushed  into  the  farthest  corner 
of  the  kitchen  and  crouched  there  with  his  hands 
held  tightly  over  his  face,  trembling  and  speech 
less.  After  being  questioned  repeatedly  he  looked 
through  his  fingers,  and  finally  withdrew  his 
hands  from  his  eyes,  which  stared  wildly  about, 
and  asked  his  mother,  '  Is  I  here  in  de  same  ole 
kitchen? ' 

"  '  Ob  cose  you  is,'  replied  Tot,  '  what  de  mat 
ter  wid  ye  ?  ' 

"  '  Dey  killin'  dat  man  up  dar.' 

"  '  Who  killin'  him,  you  pickaninny  ? ' 

"  '  De  debbels,  marm.  Dey  were  shakin'  and 
burnin'  him  inside  ;  for  he  eyes  were  all  ablaze, 
an'  fire  an'  smoke  an'  brimster  were  pourin'  out 
he  mouf.  When  de  debbels  spied  me  froo  de 
crack  ob  de  do',  dey  yell  an'  grab  for  me,  and 
knock  me  down  sta'r,  an'  shake  me  an'  poun'  me 
all  de  way  to  de  bottom.' 

"  '  More  like  de  fall  shake  ye  an'  de  sta'r  pound 
ye,  ye  wild-cat  chile  !  ' 

"  Pomp  looked  at  his  hands  and  felt  of  his  face 
to  satisfy  himself  that  he  was  all  there,  and  then 
looked  up  with  such  a  relieved  and  droll  expres- 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE. 


99 


sion  that  our  laughter  became  uncontrollable,  in 
which  we  were  joined  by  father  and  Dr.  Light- 
heart,  who  had  just  entered  the  room." 

Tom  and  Tot  now  came  to  rearrange  the  table 
for  another  meal,  to  which  they  had  been  per 
mitted  to  invite  their  special  colored  friends,  in 
cluding  their  children.  We  passed  to  a  seat  under 
the  row  of  maples  next  the  river,  where  was  an 
unobstructed  view  of  that  broad  sheet  of  water 
and  an  extensive  landscape  of  varied  surface  and 
color. 

As  we  seated  ourselves  we  were  a  little  startled 
by  a  noise  which  sounded  like  the  mingled  cry  of 
all  the  animal  creation.  I  rose  to  my  feet.  I 
could  sec  nothing  explaining  the  sounds.  They 
came  again,  and  on  the  side-hill  just  emerging 
from  the  woods  I  beheld  a  dozen  black  children, 
all  capering  on  their  hands  and  feet,  each  with  a 
different  style  of  action  and  cry  in  imitation  of 
some  particular  animal.  Pomp,  as  might  be  ex 
pected,  was  the  leader,  and  excelled  all  the  others 
in  his  grotesque  feats.  He  would  spring  forward, 
then  sideways,  then  upwards,  as  if  thrown  by  his 
hands  as  well  as  feet,  and,  before  coining  down, 
would  spring  again  as  from  an  invisible  foothold, 
precisely  as  I  had  seen  deer  on  a  western  prairie, 
lie  would  no  sooner  strike  the  ground  than  he 
would  go  up  again  like  a  rubber  ball.  This 
remarkable  feat  he  continued  till  apparently 
exhausted,  when  he  would  creep  slowly  and 
stealthily,  and  then,  rounding  up  his  back,  strike 
out  with  his  hands,  snarling  and  crying  like  a  cat, 


I  oo  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


and  then  he  would  run  and  twitter  and  sit  up  in 
exact  imitation  of  a  squirrel  while  peeling  a  beech 
nut  or  eating  an  apple.  He  was  metamorphosed 
into  various  other  creatures,  the  last  and  most 
ludicrous  being  the  ape.  Here  he  wras  more  at 
home  than  ever,  playing  tricks  with  the  others, 
and  acting  so  preposterously  absurd  that  laugh 
we  had  to  in  spite  of  ourselves,  even  after  re 
suming  our  seats. 

"  It  would  seem,"  I  remarked,  "  that  Darwin's 
chimpanzee  has  reasserted  itself  in  that  boy 
Pomp." 

"  What  an  attraction  he  would  be  for'  Barnum's 
greatest  show  on  earth  ' !  "  she  responded. 

"  Out  de  way,  ye  brack  bars,  ye  wild-cats,  ye 
draggle-tailed  monkeys  !  What  if  de  Lord  trans 
mogrify  ye  into  dem  ar'  animals  yer  imitatin'  ? 
What  would  be  de  consequentially  den  ?  " 

It  was  the  voice  of  Tom,  and  I  looked  round  in 
season  to  see  the  children,  who  had  surrounded 
him,  scampering  away  on  all  fours  towards  Tot, 
who  was  puffing  under  a  load  of  fried  cakes  fresh 
from  the  house-kitchen,  her  round,  fat  face,  look 
ing  more  like  the  full  moon  than  ever,  for  there 
was  Indian  blood  in  her  veins,  which  asserted 
itself  when  overheated.  Placing  her  burden  safely 
on  the  table,  she  broke  out  : 

''  Doan'  you  know  dat  missus  and  Perfessor 
Boomfield  are  jes'  on  tudder  side  dat  sugar- 
maple  ?  Now  go  way  wid  ye,  ebery  brat  of  ye, 
and  'have  you'selves,  ef  ye  want  any  dinner." 
With  this  admonition  and  a  mouthful  of  cake  for 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE. 


each,  they  scurried  away  like  so  many  rabbits, 
and  Ethel  and  I  resumed  our  conversation. 

She  quoted  Paul,  ".Not  first  which  is  spirit 
ual,  but  that  which  is  natural,  and  afterward  that 
which  is  spiritual." 

As  much  for  the  sake  of  listening  to  the  melody 
of  her  voice  and  enjoying  the  charm  of  her  vary 
ing  expression  as  to  draw  out  her  views,  I  asked, 
"  Flow  much  clo  you  mean  by  that  Scripture 
quotation  ?  " 

"  Simply  that  no  one  is  born  spiritually,  but 
only  naturally." 

"  Uo  you  mean  there  is  no  spiritual  capacity 
or  germ,  or  depraved  spiritual  nature  or — 

"  I  mean  no  more  than  this — that  the  animal 
alone  manifests  itself,  and  wholly  predominates 
at  first,  and  the  lower  you  descend  the  human 
scale  the  more  you  find  of  the  animal." 

"  What  advantage  has  the  most  favorably-born 
child  over  Pomp,  for  instance  ?  " 

"  Many  generations  the  better  start." 

"  But  Pomp  has  more  of  the  animal  than  his 
parents." 

"  And  he  dates  back.  As  you  yourself  inti 
mated,  the  ape  has  reasserted  itself  in  him.  We 
are  talking  of  appearances,  I  suppose,  and  not 
necessarily  of  facts." 

"  You  will  admit,  will  you  not,  Miss  Blentwood, 
that  even  Pomp,  buried  as  he  is  in  the  animal, 
may  be  converted  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  but  from  conversation  with  mis 
sionaries  and  others  of  large  experience,  I  infer 


102  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 

that  in  such  cases  the  spiritual  life  rarely  gets 
entire  control,  though  giving  evidence  of  its 
presence  in  the  soul  and  struggling  for  the  mas 
tery." 

"  Are  animalism  and  selfishness  synonymous 
with  sin  ?  " 

"  That  is  too  deep  a  question  for  me.  I  only 
know  that  selfishness  in  us  is  sin,  and  that  the 
animal  life  is  essentially  selfish.  Is  it  not  so, 
Professor  Bloomfield  ?  " 

"  Most  assuredly.  No  one  who  has  ever  fed 
animals  but  must  have  found  that  out." 

"  Your  admission  leads  me  to  strike  a  horrid 
blow  at  the  poetic  sentiment,  which  calls  a  babe 
an  angel  !  "  she  said,  blushing  behind  her  smiles. 

"  So  long  as  you  don't  hit  the  babe  I'll  risk  the 
sentiment,"  said  I.  "  Proceed,  please." 

"  It  seems  harsh,  but  isn't  it  true  that  children 
at  first  are  only  little  animals  ?  " 

"  '  Only,'  do  you   mean  ?  " 

"  Hyperbolically  speaking,  and  they  want  their 
way  just  like  other  little  animals." 

'  The  poor  dears,"  with  mock  seriousness. 
"  What  sweet,  winning  ways  they  have  !  " 

"  Yes,  and  so  have  all  young  animals." 

"  But  the  animal  does  not  ascend,  whereas  the 
babe  becomes  angelic,  it  may  be." 

"  Yes,  becomes,  but  is  not  now." 

'  Well,  but  how  good  little  children  are — some- 
times  !  " 

"And  so  are  cats  when  you  stroke  the  fur  the 
right  way,  and  they  are  in  the  mood  ;  but  look 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE.  103 


out  for  scratches !  the  claws  are  there,  depend 
upon  it." 

We  had  been  talking  only  half  seriously,  inter 
larding  our  conversation  with  much  laughter  ;  but 
I  now  asked  somewhat  earnestly,  "  Why  is  it  that 
children  come  to  your  house,  and  you  are  so  fond 
of  them,  and  do  so  much  for  them,  if  they  are  not 
angelic  ?  " 

"  I  love  them  in  spite  of  their  wants,  as  I 
believe  the  Creator  loves  me  in  spite  of  mine." 

"  But,  Miss  BIcntwood,  you  cannot  love  a 
nonentity.  You  must  see  something  to  love. 
What  is  it?" 

"  Well,  one  thing,  children  have  cunning,  inno 
cent  ways,  and  are  attractive  on  that  account,  as 
pet  animals  are  ;  and  that  is  about  as  far  as  the 
love  of  many  silly  people  goes  who  blanket  their 
dogs  and  take  them  out  for  an  airing  to  the 
neglect  of  poor  children  by  the  wayside,  who 
would  be  immensely  benefited  by  taking  the 
dog's  place." 

I  clapped  my  hands  in  approval.  She  con 
tinued  :  "  I  love  them  for  the  same  reason  these 
people  do,  but  for  something,  I  hope  higher  and 
nobler.  I  see  within  each  child,  however  rough 
externally,  a  possible  angel,  somewhat,  perhaps, 
as  the  sculptor  sees  one  in  his  block  of  marble  ; 
and  as  he  with  inspiration  chips  away  that  which 
surrounds  his  ideal  that  it  may,  unimprisoned, 
stand  out  to  view,  so  I  am  seized  with  enthusiasm, 
whenever  I  see  a  child,  to  do  what  I  can  to  make 
the  possible  angel  a  reality,  before  the  angelic 


1 04  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


capability  is  imprisoned  by  habits  of  stone  so  hard 
that  they  cannot  be  cut  away  except  by  the 
heavy  blows  of  a  stern  experience — stern,  though 
directed  by  the  love  of  the  divine  Architect 
Himself." 

How  my  heart  sang,  as  I  sat  with  my  back 
against  the  tree  watching  her,  and  wishing  that 
the  sweet  now-and-now  would  last,  and  wonder 
ing  if  there  would  or  could  be  any  higher  bliss 
for  me  with  her  in  the  sweet  by-and-by ! 

There  was  silence  for  a  few  moments  which  I 
did  not  care  to  break,  content,  as  I  was,  with  the 
joy  of  seeing  and  being.  I  wondered  whether 
she  could  feel  the  touch  of  my  sympathy,  my  love, 
my  happiness,  as  I  felt  the  touch  of  her  holy  in 
nocence  and  supreme  loveliness — whether  the 
communion  of  our  spirits  was  as  real  and  certain 
to  her  as  to  me.  But  I  felt  sure  that,  while  my 
mind  to  commune  with  hers  must  ascend,  hers  to 
meet  mine  must  descend ;  and  therefore  my 
happiness  was  the  more  exalted.  It  looked  up- 
had  in  it  the  element  of  worship.  I  had  watched 
and  worked  and  prayed  that  I  might  possess  the 
Master's  disposition  ;  but  hers  was  a  beauty  of 
soul,  to  the  dizzy  height  of  which  I  had  never 
climbed.  I  could  climb,  I  thought,  with  the  up 
lift  which  her  constant  society  would  give  me. 

I  had  often  hoped,  if  the  time  ever  came  for  me 
to  marry,  I  might  find  some  such  girl  as  Ethel,  and 
not,  like  so  many  educated  men,  fall  in  love  with 
one  of  empty  head,  drawn  by  her  apparent  large- 
heartedness  and  femininity,  and  discover  when  too 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE.  105 


late  that  her  supposed  affectionate  disposition  was 
as  shallow  as  her  brains.  But  the  time  had  not 
come,  I  reasoned  with  myself,  for  me  to  fall  in 
love,  and,  furthermore,  this  girl  was  too  good  for 
me — too  good  for  anybody,  except  to  be  her 
father's  daughter.  He  must  be  exceedingly  vain 
and  self-opinionated  who  thinks  he  can  make  her 
happier  by  asking  her  to  become  his  wife. 

She  lifted  her  soft  blue  eyes  so  kindly  and  so 
full  upon  me,  mirroring  in  their  calm,  clear  depths 
a  soul  so  pure  and  peaceful,  and  withal  so  full  of 
beauty  and  noble  purpose  that,  for  an  instant,  I 
felt  that  I  was  looking  into  the  spirit  land.  For 
getting  for  the  moment  where  our  conversation 
left  off,  I  said,  "  Miss  Blentwood,  I  wish  you  had 
as  good  company  as  I  have." 

She  laughingly  rejoined,  "  Oh,  that  will  do  for 
a  joke,  Professor  Bloomfield  !  but  the  truth  is  I  am 
the  more  fortunate  ;  for  there  is  much  of  society 
I  can  enjoy  as  a  recreation  only,  beyond  which  it 
is  a  waste  of  time,  and  it  is  a  treat  to  have  some 
one,  in  addition  to  father  and  Dr.  Lighthcart,  to 
converse  with  to  my  mental  profit  as  well  as  pleas 
ure.  Don't  misunderstand  me;  I  like  fun  and 
can  talk  nonsense,  but  am  not  satisfied  with  it  as 
a  steady  diet  !  I  like  a  helpful  guide,  who  can 
and  will  look  with  me  beneath  the  surface  and 
into  the  philosophy  of  things  a  little.  It  makes 
life  seem  more  worth  living."  As  she  said  this  a 
slight  tinge  of  color  suffused  her  cheeks. 

"  I  think  I  understand  you,  Miss  Blentwood, 
and  it  is  largely  because  I  understand  you  that  I 


106  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


have  enjoyed  your  society  beyond  all  measure. 
It  stands  out  unique  among  all  my  experiences  as 
the  greatest  feast  of  my  life.  You  possess  that 
rare  combination  which  satisfies  me  intellectually 
and  socially,  and  satisfies  me  as  no  other  lady  I 
ever  met." 

I  suddenly  became  aware  that  I  was  putting 
the  case  strongly,  and  revealing  my  heart  in 
opportunely,  and  in  explanation  added,  "  You  are 
aware  that  I  leave  to-morrow  morning,  and  Provi 
dence  only  knows  when  we  shall  meet  again,  or 
whether  at  all,  and  you  will  please  consider  these 
words  spoken — when  I  may  not  have  an  oppor- 
nitunity  of  speaking  them — at  parting.  It  is  in 
simple  justice  to  you  and  the  truth  in  my  own 
heart  that  I  have  said  what  I  have." 

She  looked  up  with  more  color,  yet  pleased  and 
trustful,  showing  that  deception  played  no  part  in 
her  composition.  The  transparent  purity  and 
frankness  of  her  character  struck  me  with  new 
force,  and  won  me  with  tremendous  and  unwonted 
energy.  I  felt  myself  drawing  dangerously  near 
to  that  ancient  precipice  of  avowal,  which  stands 
high  above  and  beyond  the  highest  peak  in  the 
whole  mountain  range  of  admiration,  down  which 
I  might  any  moment  plunge.  Almost  over 
powered  by  the  forces  drawing  me  on,  I  struggled 
against  them,  at  last  conquered,  and  was  ready  to 
listen. 

"  I  have  implicit  confidence  in  your  conscien 
tiousness,  Professor  Bloomfield,  and,  therefore, 
though  you  are  too  generous  in  your  opinion  of 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE.  107 


my  abilities,  I  am  comforted  by  the  thought  that 
I  am  not  altogether  stupid  to  a  person  of  large 
intelligence  and  Christian  culture  like  yourself. 
I  am  sorry  you  must  leave,  and  not  be  near  us 
where  we  could  all  meet  occasionally  and  discuss 
the  great  questions  of  life  so  interesting  to  me. 
I  think  I  could  grow  under  your  tuition.  You 
awaken  thought,  and  stir  that  which  is  best  and 
deepest  in  me." 

"  I  am  very  grateful,"  I  answered,  "  if  I  have 
been  able  to  compensate  in  the  slightest  degree 
for  the  pleasure  I  have  enjoyed  in  your  society. 
Mutual  helpfulness  is  one  of  the  clivinest  of  joys, 
but  whatever  my  society  has  been  to  you,  I  am 
and  shall  ever  remain  greatly  your  debtor." 

"  Well,"  she  said  playfully,  "  if  the  indebted 
ness  is  mutual,  that  ought  to  square  the  books. 
To  return  to  the  question  we  were  discussing,  I 
inferred  you  had  something  more  to  say  on  the 
possible  angel  in  every  child." 

"Yes,  I  would  like  to  ask  what  in  your  opinion 
is  that  possible  angel?  Is  it  only  a  capacity,  a 
capability  ?  Or  does  it  exist  in  embryo,  in  the 
seed  form,  germinally?  Or  is  it  a  fallen  angel, 
with  powers  all  there,  only  perverted,  overborne, 
clubbed  down  ?  or,  stronger  still,  so  corrupted  by 
inheritance  as  not  only  to  be  inclined  toward  sin, 
but  to  be  sin  in  its  very  essence  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Professor  Bloomfield  !  these  are  deep,  hard 
questions.  I  only  know  which  view  satisfies  my 
mind;  but  if  not  Scriptural  I  must  of  course  give 
it  up  ;  for  where  the  Bible  speaks  clearly,  it  is  the 


!  0S  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


clue  by  which  to  thread  our  way  through  the 
labyrinthine  uncertainties  of  this  life." 

"Very  true,  Miss  Blentwood  ;  we  agree  in  our 
loyalty  to  the  Book  ;  but  I  am  interested  to  know 
which  theory  satisfies  you  intellectually." 

"  I  would  like  to  think  man  is  created  with  all 
his  faculties  in  germ,  spiritually  as  well  as  morally, 
intellectually,  aesthetically,  socially,  physically— 
in  other  words,  that  every  power,  from  foundation 
to  superstructure  comes  with  us  in  our  birth  into 
this  world.  This  view  seems  to  harmonize  with 
the  plan  of  creation  as  one  of  development  and 
progress  ;  but  is  it  Scriptural  ?  " 

"  That  depends.  Present  orthodoxy  requires  a 
belief  in  corruption  or  a  tendency  to  sin  from 
some  source.  Believers  in  the  development 
theory  locate  that  tendency  back  of  Adam  in  the 
brute  creation  whence  we  sprung  ;  and  the  brute 
instincts  men  exhibit  would  seem  to  favor  that 
theory.  The  Biblical  account  of  Adam's  dis 
obedience  docs  not,  I  think,  necessarily  militate 
against  this  view,  and  some  would  say  that  it  ex 
plained  it.  If  Adam  developed  from  the  animal 
kingdom,  inheriting  instincts  centering  only  in 
self,  it  is  easy  to  see  how  he  might  go  astray, 
however  innocent  he  might  be.  But  until  science 
speaks  clearly,  we  are  not  called  upon  to  adopt  its 
guesses,  though  shrewd  and  may  prove  to  be 
true.  One  thing  is  certain,  that  all  have  this  ten 
dency  to  sin,  however  it  got  into  our  composition 
and  wherever  it  may  be  located  ;  but  your  theory 
harmonizes  with  all  the  known  facts  of  science. 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE. 


109 


and  I  see  no  reason  why  it  may  not  be  made  to 
harmonize  with  the  Bible.  But  all  this  may  be 
profitable  only  as  a  sort  of  intellectual  gymnas 
tics  ;  the  great  fact  remains,  which  no  theory  can 
dissipate,  that  the  spiritual  faculty  of  the  child 
may  be  born  into  life  and  power  by  the  quick 
ening  influence  of  Divine  love.  You  have  some 
thing  to  appeal  to  in  every  child— something 
higher  than  matter,  higher  than  intellect.  All 
the  possibilities  of  the  best  man  or  woman  lie  en 
folded  in  the  little  child.  Christ  is  in  it,  waiting 
to  be  born." 

"  That  takes  me  out  of  the  woods  into  light," 
exclaimed  Miss  Blentwood  with  animation.  "  The 
different  theories  threw  me  into  the  jungles." 

"  Doubtless  I  have  passed  through  the  same 
difficult}-,"  I  said. 

"  Please  state  it,  Professor  Bloomfield  ;  it  will 
make  my  way  still  clearer." 

"  Well,  Miss  Blentwood,  in  your  search  for  a 
scientific  method  of  procedure  with  the  little 
child,  you  have  said,  All  its  body  wants  is  food 
and  training,  and  the  same  is  true  of  the  intel 
lectual,  social,  affectional,  ajsthetical  and  moral 
natures;  but  is  the  spiritual  germinal  and  to  be 
fed  and  trained  in  the  same  way  ?  If  so,  where 
comes  in  the  new  birth?  If  the  new  birth  is  the 
creation  of  a  new  faculty,  then  my  possible  angel 
is  not  a  whole  being  to  start  with,  and  I  have 
nothing  here  to  feed — no  real  foundation  on  which 
to  build.  However  I  may  develop  all  the  other 
faculties  and  powers,  for  that  which  crowns,  over- 


I  io  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


tops,  and  beautifies  all  the  rest,  and  makes  the 
child  at  all  angelic,  I  must  fold  my  arms  and  await 
the  creative  fiat.  But  when  you  said  that  no  new 
faculty  is  added  by  conversion,  it  was  clear  to  you 
that  whether  this  spiritual  faculty  is  simply  germ 
inal  or  essentially  wicked,  it  is  there,  and  you  had 
something  to  appeal  to.  If  feeble,  or,  in  Scripture 
phrase,  dead,  it  is  so  because  starved,  and  needs 
food.  On  what  shall  it  feed  ?  On  God.  It  must 
have  the  life-giving  or  the  life-restoring  impact  of 
God  through  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

"  To  sum  up,  you  reasoned  that  every  human 
faculty  and  power  is  a  feeding  creature,  each  on 
its  kind.  The  body  must  have  material  food,  the 
intellect  intellectual  food  or  truth,  the  moral  nat 
ure  moral  truth,  and  the  spiritual  nature  spiritual 
truth,  or  Divine  truth — the  Truth,  as  Jesus  de 
clared  Himself  to  be.  Here,  then,  is  as  plain  a 
work  for  me  to  do  for  the  spiritual  as  for  the  in 
tellectual  nature.  I  am  to  feed  it  with  the  bread 
of  life.  Here  is  a  ground  for  spiritual  instruction 
in  Sunday-Schools  and  elsewhere." 

Miss  Blentwood  brought  her  pretty  hands  to 
gether  in  a  most  expressive  manner  and  with 
charming  emphasis  said,  "  Professor  Bloomfield,  I 
thank  you  very,  very  much  ;  for  you  have  stated 
my  case  a  thousand-fold  better  than  I  could,  and 
let  in  a  flood  of  light  where  before  it  was  dark,  and 
I  can  see  so  far  !  " 

I  was  surprised  at  her  enthusiasm,  but Oh  ! 

how  beautiful  she  looked,  with  her  heightened 
color  and  joyful  animation  !  Her  right  hand  was 


A  PHILOSOPHICAL  DIALOGUE. 


resting'  carelessly  on  the  seat  near  mine,  and,  be 
fore  I  realized  what  I  was  doing,  my  toying 
fingers  went  slowly  towards  hers  till  they  touched. 
I  drew  back  my  hand  quickly,  but  not  till  that 
touch  had  gone  through  me  like  an  electric  shock, 
minus  the  pain.  I  managed  to  regain  my  normal 
condition  and  to  say,  "  You  looked  so  ethereal  I 
began  to  doubt  almost  whether  you  belonged  to 
this  mundane  sphere,  till  I  touched  your  hand." 

"  You  are  hitting  my  enthusiasm,"  she  said, 
with  a  look  and  gesture  of  playful  warning. 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  I  replied.  "  On  the  con 
trary,  it  is  a  joy  to  find  one  who  can  take  so  much 
pleasure  in  ideas  as  you  seem  to.  There  cannot 
be  too  much  enthusiasm  in  that  direction.  In 
deed,  I  feel  a  strong  sympathy  for  that  Greek 
philosopher  who,  discovering  a  new  idea,  forgot 
all  about  the  fashions,  as  he  ran  through  the 
streets  crying,  Eureka  !  If  Columbus  was  laud 
ably  enthusiastic  in  the  discovery  of  America, 
why  should  not  we  be  as  enthusiastic  in  explor 
ing  for  new  worlds  of  thought,  which  have  so 
close  a  relation  to  human  happiness  and  well- 
being?  " 

"  I  am  thankful,"  she  said,  "  there  are  Colum- 
buses  in  the  mental  world,  who  go  on  voyages  of 
discovery,  and  bring  back  trophies  of  rare 
interest  and  value,  and  hints  of  still  greater 
things.  I  only  wish  there  were  more  explorers 
spiritual  as  well  as  intellectual." 

"  There  would  be  more,  Miss  Blentwood,  if  more 
people  knew  the  happiness  of  living  in  the  upper 


1 1 2  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


rooms  of  their  many-storied  nature.  The  trouble 
is,  so  many  get  no  higher  than  the  basement  for 
a  better  view,  a  purer  air,  and  a  more  glorious 
sunshine.  Having  experienced  nothing  higher, 
they  are  content  with  material  things.  It  only 
proves  that  their  lower  nature  predominates  over 
their  higher." 

"  This  brings  us  back  to  our  former  discussion, 
Professor  Bloomfield.  It  is  evident  that  the  first 
step  in  the  higher  education  of  such  persons  is  to 
be  taken  on  the  basement  floor,  where  they  are 
living.  It  is  of  no  use  to  teach  them  from  the 
attic  ;  \ve  must  go  down  where  they  are,  enter 
into  sympathy  with  their  thoughts  and  views, 
and  lead  them  step  by  step  to  the  upper 
stories." 

"  You  have  the  true  theory  of  education,  Miss 
Blentwood,  scholastic  and  Christian.  You  cannot 
teach  seven  leagues  off.  Jesus  did  not  do  it. 
He  took  people  as  he  found  them  and  where 
he  found  them.  He  taught  them  with  evident 
sympathy  by  illustrations  familiar  to  them,  the 
spiritual  meaning  of  which  dawned  upon  their 
dull  minds  at  last." 


CHAPTER  XI. 

A   NEGRO    WEDDING. 

AT  this  moment  Miss  Blentwood  excused  her 
self,  and  went  to  the  assistance  of  Tot,  who  was 
seating'  the  children  at  the  table  in  evident  per 
plexity.  With  a  merry  and  cheerful  countenance 
she  soon  lifted  all  signs  of  burden  from  Tot's  full 
round  face,  causing  her  to  say,  "You  knows  how 
to  do  ebery  ting,  Miss  Ethel ;  no  need  hub  no 
trouble  where  you  is.  Your  hubbun  wont  break 
his  back  staggerin'  under  de  burdens  ob  life  ;  for 
when  he  comes  home  and  looks  at  you  cheery 
face  and  gentle  ways,  'fore  he  know  it,  de  burdens 
will  roll  clean  off'n  him,  done  gone  forebber." 

She  did  look  lovely  enough  to  scatter  the  dark 
est  clouds  that  ever  gathered  on  a  human  face. 
Pink  roses  bestarrecl  her  fair  cheeks,  and  her 
lustrous  blue-eyes  spoke  so  winningly  of  inward 
joy  and  harmony,  it  was  like  listening  to  glad 
music  to  look  at  her,  making  the  very  pulse  of 
my  blood  beat  a  strange  rhythmic  tune,  as  if  in 
step  with  the  melodies  of  her  nature.  My  heart 
went  up  in  silent  thanksgiving  for  the  existence 
of  this  ideal  of  young  womanhood,  whose  pres 
ence  in  society  would  be  like  the  welcome  sun- 
8  113 


!  4  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


shine  of  early  summer,  which  gladdens  and  glori 
fies  everything  it  touches.  I  thought  of  the 
separation  which  must  come  in  the  morning, 
and  of  the  many  places,  which  had  acquired,  and 
would  henceforth  ever  possess,  a  charm  from 
association  with  this  delightful  creature. 

Ethel  returned  with  a  pleased  expression,  and 
said,  "  Professor  Bloomfield,  there  is  to  be  a  wed 
ding  of  two  colored  people,  here  in  the  grove  im 
mediately  after  the  children  get  through  dinner. 
The  ceremony  is  to  be  performed  by  father,  as 
sisted  by  the  somewhat  noted  Father  Taylor 
right  from  the  South.  Indeed,  all  Tom  and  Tot's 
guests  were  former  slaves  and  they  are  to  have  a 
kind  of  jubilee  supper.  We  are  invited  to  wit 
ness  the  ceremony.  Would  you  like  to?" 

I  assured  her  it  would  be  a  great  treat,  when 
our  attention  was  called  to  the  road  whence  the 
guests  were  coming  almost  in  a  body,  and  num 
bering  when  arrived  twelve  to  fifteen,  of  all  com 
plexions  from  coal  black  to  pale  yellow.  There 
was  a  general  shaking  of  hands,  and  hearty  wel 
comes  from  Tom  and  Tot,  who  performed  the 
part  of  host  and  hostess  with  genuine,  old-time, 
plantation  hospitality.  Fine  rows  of  ivory  were 
to  be  seen  in  almost  every  mouth,  stretched  from 
ear  to  ear,  and,  while  their  "  pump-handle  grip," 
odd  atttitudes  and  droll  expressions  were  very 
amusing,  their  simple,  whole-hearted,  unrestained 
greeting  was  very  touching,  and,  indeed,  a 
refreshing  relief  from  the  cold,  calculating  man 
ners  of  an  overcultured  society. 


A  NEGRO   WEDDING. 


Dr.  Blcntwood  and  Father  Taylor,  as  he  was 
called,  whose  snow-white  head  and  tall  form  gave 
him  a  most  venerable  appearance,  approached, 
followed  by  the  bride  and  bridegroom,  and  a 
circle  was  formed,  which  we  joined,  and  the  cere 
mony  commenced.  Dr.  Blentwood  was  very 
happy  in  the  mingling  of  instruction  with  his 
portrayal  of  wedded  life  and  its  responsibilities, 
evidently  intended  to  help  the  new  pair  in  the 
establishment  of  their  united  home.  Father 
Taylor  offered  prayer,  which  was  so  original,  I 
will  give  it  as  near  as  I  can. 

"  O,  Lord,"  he  said,  "  when  here  you  did 
attend  a  wedding  you'sef,  and  added  to  de  joy  of  it 
by  supplying  good,  safe  wine  when  dat  fell  short, 
and  we  knows  you  is  interested  in  clis  yere  occa 
sion.  Darefore  wid  confidence  we  ask  you  to 
bless  dis  yere  married  pair — not  wid  wine  which 
cley  don't  need,  but  wid  Christian  honesty  and 
squar  common  sense,  so  dat  dey  perform  cleir 
vows,  and  raise  up  a  family  to  de  Lord.  Dey  hab 
gibben  demselves  away  to  each  udder,  and  may 
dey  nebber  take  back  what  dey  hab  gibben. 
When  de  fancy  and  all  de  moonshine  of  lub  go, 
may  de  true,  steady  sunshine  of  lub  remain,  and 
stay  wid  em.  May  cley  trust  one  anudder,  and 
be  true  to  dat  trust.  May  dey  walk  togedder  on 
cle  heights  ob  mutual  confidence  and  placid  joy 
during  de  heat  and  burden  ob  cle  day,  and  at 
night  cuddle  down  togedder  in  lub,  like  two  turtle 
doves  in  one  nest.  And  when  de  time  come  for 
dcm  to  cross  de  dark  ribber,  may  dey  turn  up  deir 


Ii6  SHIPS  BY  DAY 


faces  for  de  Lord  to  wipe  away  all  tears  from  deir 
eyes,  and  den  jump  into  de  ole  ferry-boat,  like 
chillens  goin'  to  a  picnic,  and  sail  shoutin'  in  de 
spirit  to  de  udder  sho',  where  is  de  white  robes 
and  de  married  supper  ob  de  Lamb  dat  last  for- 
eber.  Glory  dat  it  last  foreber !  May  we  all  be 
dar  ;  but  not  yet,  for  we  hab  a  little  more  work 
to  do.  Abundantly  bless  Brudder  Blentwood  in 
his  home  and  work  of  mercy  and  his  Christian 
daughter,  who  is  de  angel  of  his  heart  and  de 
image  of  his  soul,  and  dese  udder  godly  ones 
sheltered  under  deir  roof — under  all  whose  kind 
ness  we  are  to  partake  of  one  more  jubilee  feast 
protected  by  wide-branching  trees,  God's  first 
temples.  May  holy  doves  of  gratitude  fly  up 
through  de  branches  from  all  our  hearts  whom 
you  did  bring  out  of  bondage,  as  you  did  the 
children  of  Israel,  wid  a  high  hand  and  a  out 
stretch  arm  ;  and,  unlike  dem,  may  we  know  how 
to,  have  ourselves,  now  we  got  out.  Here,  Lord, 
we  say,  amen !  So  mote  it  be  !  Amen  and 
amen  !  " 

The  prayer  was  uttered  with  so  much  touching 
pathos,  that  I  found  myself  alternately  weeping 
and  shaking  with  suppressed  laughter. 

Father  Taylor  was  the  first  in  his  congratula 
tions.  Placing  one  hand  on  the  head  of  the 
bride  and  the  other  on  that  of  the  bridegroom,  he 

o 

looked  down  benevolently  upon  them  from  his 
towering  height  and  said,  "  An  undershepherd's 
blessing  go  wid  ye,  young  folks."  Then  taking 
a  hand  of  each  he  added,  "  Keep  de  boat  of 


A  NEGRO   IVEDDIATG.  117 


wedded  life  right  side  up.  When  de  storm  come, 
stop  paddlin'  and  spend  your  time  preservin'  de 
balance,  so  dat  she  don't  topple  ober.  If  a  squall 
come  up  from  de  wife  side  of  de  cabin,  neber  you 
mind  you'sef,  Mr.  Jenkins,  how  cle  squall  come, 
but  keep  you'  eye  on  de  boat  till  cle  storm  pass 
and  dar  be  a  calm.  Den  examin'  de  craft,  and 
see  if  she  leak,  and  at  de  fitting  time  and  place 
administer  de  proper  repairs.  Remember,  Mr. 
Jenkins,  I  put  cle  emphasis  on  de  word  proper. 
And  Mrs.  Jenkins,  if  a  hurricane  strike  you  widout 
any  warnin'  from  cle  male  quarter  ob  de  heavens, 
de  very  fust  question  you  must  ax  you'sef  is, 
What  can  I  do  to  keep  de  boat  from  tippin'  wid 
de  wind  ?  Keep  dat  interrogation  travelin'  round 
in  you  head  by  de  Lord's  aid,  and  you  may  be 
sartin  for  sure  dat  dar  \vill  be  no  sufficient  cyclone 
to  swamp  you  domestic  felicity." 

This  advice  was  greatly  enhanced  by  Father 
Taylor's  dramatic  action,  fine  voice  and  express 
ive  features,  his  tall  form  now  erect  and  firm,  and 
now  swaying  in  convulsive  good-will,  and  gentle 
laughter. 

As  he  turned  aside,  Dr.  Blentwood,  Ethel  and 
myself  shook  hands  with  the  newly-married  couple, 
and  wished  them  a  happy  future.  The  darkies 
followed  our  example,  timidly  at  first,  till  one 
fellow,  bolder  than  the  rest,  with  a  dandy  air, 
droll  step  and  comical  expression,  shook  both  of 
the  bride's  hands,  saying,  as  he  did  so,  "  You  got 
anudder  name,  but  you  looks  'ma/ing  natural," 
and  then  he  gave  her  a  smack,  which  sounded 


1 1 8  SHIPS  B  Y  J)A  Y. 


like  the  collapse  of  a  main-topsail  in  a  storm. 
This  was  the  signal  for  general  hilarity,  and  after 
that  the  smiling  couple  each  received  kisses  fast 
and  hearty,  till  the  supply  was  exhausted. 

As  they  were  being  seated  at  table,  Miss  Blent- 
wood  said  to  me,  "  I  think  they  will  enjoy  them 
selves  better  now  in  our  absence."  I  was  glad  to 
think  so  too,  since  Dr.  Blentwood  had  gone  to 
his  study,  and  I  could  be  alone  with  Ethel ! 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A   STROLL   BY   THE    RIVER. 

\A/E  moved  towards  the  river,  and  strolled 
leisurely  on  its  pleasant  banks,  chatting  fa 
miliarly,  giving  and  receiving  information  on  vari 
ous  topics,  and  drinking  in  whatever  enjoyment  we 
could  easily  extract  from  the  present,  as  befitted 
the  closing  and  languid  beauty  of  a  hot  June 
day. 

It  was  one  of  those  hours,  when  the  passing 
moments  are  all  sufficient, — when  we  do  not  need 
to  make  excursions  into  the  past  or  future,  but 
are  content  to  live  wholly  in  the  present,  making 
the  most  of  what  it  has  to  give,  gathering  into 
our  nature  all  its  sweet  delights,  and  helpful  com 
forts,  in  storage  for  future  expenditure,  when 
there  is  call  for  outgo  and  no  income  of  joy. 

The  sky  had  a  mellow  look,  the  air  was  soft 
and  balmy,  sweet  with  the  perfume  of  the  new- 
mown  hay  and  blossoms  both  near  and  far  off. 
The  oriole,  the  yellow-bird,  and  bobolink  attracted 
our  notice  here  and  there,  mostly  quiet,  uttering 
only  an  occasional  note  or  half-note,  as  if  too  lazy 
or  too  contented  to  sing.  There  was  not  breeze 


120  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


enough  to  stir  the  foliage  except  the  ever  tremb 
ling  aspen  leaves,  which  glistened  and  shimmered 
in  the  rays  of  the  declining  sun.  We  did  not 
wander  far,  for  there  was  no  occasion  to  hurry, 
and  we  examined  everything,  and  enjoyed  every 
thing,  sometimes  sitting  down,  now  to  analyze  a 
flo\ver,  now  to  break  a  stone  in  pieces  and  look  at 
its  particles  through  a  pocket  microscope,  which 
I  always  carried,  and  now  to  watch  a  sailboat 
anchored  near  the  opposite  shore,  the  two  occu 
pants  preferring  to  lounge  and  read,  rather  than 
use  their  oars. 

When  we  thought  of  retracing  our  steps,  the 
red  edge  of  the  sun  was  scarcely  visible  above  a 
western  hill,  and  the  sky  was  rapidly  changing 
her  robes  to  a  more  brilliant  hue.  The  city  spires 
glistened  in  the  red  fire  of  the  setting  sun,  and 
the  gable  windows  looked  as  if  all  ablaze  with  an 
internal  raging  flame,  ready  to  burst  out  into  a 
conflagration,  suggestive  of  fire-alarms  and  fire- 
engines.  Yet  the  hour  was  so  sweet  and  con 
genial  nothing  unpleasant  could  enter  my  mind. 
Happy  and  grateful  as  I  was,  the  moments 
seemed  to  come  and  go  only  to  bring  me  un 
merited  blessings,  and  all  I  had  to  do  was  to 
drink  and  be  filled. 

We  walked  homeward  for  some  time  in  silence. 
We  did  not  need  to  speak.  I  at  least  enjoyed  a 
higher  communion  ;  for  there  are  passages  in  our 
life  when  speech  pulls  down,  rather  than  lifts  up, 
and  jars  on  the  melody  going  on  in  our  souls. 
Words  are  material,  and  there  are  thoughts 


A  STROLL  BY  THE  RIVER. 


sweeter,  nobler,  purer  than  any  form  in  which 
they  may  be  materialized. 

So  we  walked  on  quietly,  observant,  yet  seeing 
only  sweet  design  enfolded  in  every  created 
thing.  It  was  the  loveliest  twilight  I  had  ever 
experienced,  or  else  it  was  my  own  happy  state, 
which  threw  a  halo  of  glory  upon  everything 
around  me. 

Did  I  think  of  the  companion  at  my  side?  I 
thought  of  everything  good  and  must  have 
thought  of  her.  I  seemed  to  be  moving  with  her 
in  a  new  and  beautiful  world,  all  our  own,  of 
which  she  was  the  creator,  though  had  I  stopped 
to  reason,  my  title-deed  to  it  would  have  been 
utterly  wanting.  I  had  received  no  intimation 
that  I  could  remain  in  that  world. 

We  had  now  reached  a  bend  in  the  river,  where 
suddenly  the  music  of  a  guitar  fell  softly  and 
sweetly  on  our  ears,  with  the  accompaniment  of 
alternating  male  and  female  voices.  The  distance 
and  atmosphere  were  such  as  to  strain  out  all 
harshness,  if  any  there  were,  and  produce  the 
finest  effect.  We  stopped  instinctively,  and  list 
ened  without  a  word  of  comment.  To  me  it  was 
only  an  added  charm  to  an  already  charmed  life. 
Had  I  caught  a  glimpse  of  heaven's  landscape,  or 
a  breath  of  its  fragrant  air,  and  seen  the  flitting 
of  an  angel's  wing,  I  could  not  have  been  much 
surprised,  for  I  was  in  heaven,  and  why  should 
not  all  loveliest  things  come  to  me  ? 

When  an  interval  in  the  music  occurred,  Ethel 
said  softly,  as  if  not  to  disturb  the  happy  illu- 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


sions  of  the  hour,  "  One  of  them  is  the  voice  of 
Charley,  I  think — Charley  Lightheart." 

"  A  connection  of  the  doctor's  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  A  younger  brother,"  she  replied. 

The  music  flowed  on,  and  we  listened  again, 
seating  ourselves  on  a  rustic  seat,  encircling  a 
huge  elm,  whose  branches  spread  out  over  the 
water's  edge,  and  cast  a  somber  shadow  in  the 
light  of  the  moon,  which  had  come  out  to  take 
the  place  of  the  now  departing  sun.  I  quoted  the 
lines  of  the  grand  old  poet : 

"  How  sweet  the  moonlight  sleeps  upon  this  bank ! 
Here  will  we  sit,  and  let  the  sounds  of  music 
Creep  to  our  ears ;  soft  stillness  and  the  night 
Become  the  touches  of  sweet  harmony." 

"  Most  befitting  the  place  and  the  hour  !  "  she 
said,  with  a  pleased  look.  "  You  are  very  happy 
in  your  poetic  memories,  Professor  Bloomfield." 

Her  face  was  a  study.  Blessed  memories, 
noble  impulses,  and  pure  aspirations  were  the 
divine  artists  there  at  work.  There  was,  too,  a 
wealth  of  love,  without  which  no  woman  is 
beautiful,  a  wealth,  however,  which  showed  itself 
only  as  a  possession  held  in  reserve,  except  as  I 
had  seen  it  flow  out  in  little  delicate  and  help 
ful  ways  to  her  father,  for  whom  she  displayed 
great  admiration  and  devoted  attachment. 

The  music  increased  in  volume  by  the  added 
strains  of  a  banjo  and  mandolin,  borne  to  us  now, 
however,  in  fitful  gusts,  by  a  slightly  rising  and 
changeful  breeze.  Then  broke  upon  our  ears  a 


A  STROLL  BY  THE  RIVER.  123 


melody  which  could  have  had  its  birth  only  on  a 
negro  plantation.  It  would  heave  and  swell  like 
an  ocean  wave,  and  then  as  gradually  subside,  or 
sweep  by  us,  and  break  with  an  echo  on  the  oppo 
site  shore  of  the  river.  The  negro  voices  sub 
siding,  the  stringed  instruments  could  be  heard, 
producing  by  contrast  a  charming  effect.  Again, 
instruments  and  voices,  blending  together,  be 
sieged  our  ears  with  augmenting  force,  as  if  to 
take  them  by  storm,  and  then  receded  with  even 
sweeter  footsteps  of  harmony,  that  they  might 
advance  upon  us  separately,  like  different  skir 
mish  lines  in  battle. 

"  What  does  that  sic  remind  you  of,  Miss 
Blentwood  ?  "  I  asked. 

She  turned  towards  me  with  a  little  surprise, 
looking  out  at  me  between  the  long-fringed  cur 
tains  of  her  expressive  eyes,  as  if  I  had  divined 
her  thoughts. 

"  I  was  thinking,"  she  answered,  "  how  all  the 
discords  of  the  world  would  be  done  away,  if 
every  soul  could  find  and  strike  the  keynote — 
divine  love." 

"  Your  thought  is  more  beautiful  than  mine,"  I 
said  slowly.  "  I  was  thinking  what  a  sublime 
coquette  music  is  !  " 

"  Ah  !  "  she  questioned,  "  when  can  a  coquette 
be  sublime  ?  " 

"When,"  I  answered,  "she  unconsciously  in 
spires  in  a  man  a  longing  and  love  for  the  morally 
beautiful,  and  at  the  same  time  stands  so  far 
above  him,  so  unattainable,  that  all  he  can  do  is 


124  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  gaze  and  adore,  yet  glacl  that  he  has  seen  his 
ideal,  and  can  worship  even  afar  off." 

She  displayed  no  consciousness  that  I  meant 
her,  wearing  only  a  more  thoughtful  look,  and  I 
said  rather  impulsively  and  too  abruptly,  I  feared  : 
"  Miss  Blentwood,  I  wish  to  ask  a  favor." 

She  raised  to  me  questioning  eyes,  and  waited. 
She  was  so  pretty  I  had  to  look  at  her,  and  the 
longer  I  looked  the  lovelier  she  grew,  and  I  must 
have  quite  forgotten  myself;  for,  before  I  knew 
it,  she  was  really  blushing.  The  sky,  which  a  few 
moments  before,  had  colored  so  resplendently  in 
the  rays  of  the  setting  sun,  could  not  be  com 
pared,  in  richness  and  brilliancy  of  tone,  to  her 
rosy  cheeks  and  ripened  lips. 

"  The  favor  I  wish  to  ask,"  I  stammered,  in 
confusion  at  my  own  awkwardness,  "  is  the  privi 
lege,  if  you  will  grant  it,  of  calling  you — Ethel." 

"  Oh,  is  that  all?"  she  asked  with  receding 
color,  and  a  smile  breaking  into  a  gentle  laugh. 
"  That  is  a  favor  easily  granted,  Professor  Bloom- 
field.  Ethel  is  my  name." 

"  Yes,  I  know,"  I  said,  slowly  recovering  my 
self,  "  and  a  very  pretty  name  it  is,  and,  liking  it, 
I  wish  to  use  it  unadorned  by  prefix  or  suffix,  as 
a  friend,  who  believes  that  '  Beauty  when  un 
adorned  is  adorned  the  most.'  " 

"  As  you  please,"  she  said,  "  but  you  will  use 
your  privilege  only  for  a  short  time,  Professor 
Bloomfield,  if  you  leave  us  to-morrowr  morning, 
as  you  say.  However,  you  will  visit  us  on  you*- 
return  trip — will  you  not  ?  " 


A  STROLL  BY  THE  RIVER. 


125 


"  Will  Ethel  please  be  just  a  little  bit  sorry 
that  I  am  going  away,  so  as  to  help  me  come 
back  ?  "  I  asked,  with  poorly-concealed  earnest 
ness. 

"  I  shall  be  sorry  to  have  you  go,  and  glad  to 
have  you  return,  and  I  know  father  will  say  the 
same."  She  spoke  with  all  the  simplicity  of  her 
truthful  nature,  and  I  saw  in  her  eyes  that  she 
meant  it,  and  I  was  satisfied.  Satisfied?  Yes, 
as  to  my  judgment  ;  no,  as  to  my  heart.  Friend 
ship  was  all  I  had  any  reason  to  expect,  and  it 
was  a  great  comfort  to  have  the  friendly  esteem 
of  so  noble  a  girl.  When  I  reflected  that  it 
would  be  months,  and  perhaps  years,  before  we 
might  meet  again,  my  heart  knocked  loudly  for 
the  privilege  of  correspondence,  but  my  wiser 
judgment  told  me  that  would  be  too  much  to 
ask  on  so  short  acquaintance,  though  I  had  to 
appeal  to  facts  to  assure  myself  that  I  had  not 
always  known  her. 

Some  spirits  are  indeed  so  fitly  strung  as  to 
blend  at  once,  like  naturally  attuned  voices,  and 
without  preliminary  practice  or  rehearsal,  into 
sweetest  melody.  Ethel  supplemented  my  poor 
half  and  imperfect  notes  and  satisfied  the  long 
ings  of  my  heart,  and  I  knew  that  I  knew  her  ; 
but,  as  I  reflected  that  that  knowledge  did  not 
necessarily  prove  that  she  knew  me,  I  tried  to 
hush  the  loud  beating  of  my  impatient  heart,  and 
to  convince  myself  that  I  must  prove  my  worth 
before  asking  the  privilege  of  even  a  friendly  cor 
rcspondence  with  this  idol  of  her  father's  house. 


126  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


But  the  thought  of  separation  on  the  early 
morrow  from  this  bright,  pure  being  at  my  side, 
grew  more  and  more  painful  as  it  forced  itself  on 
my  mind,  and  brought  home  the  conviction  that 
I  was  thinking  too  much  of  her — too  much  for 
my  own  happiness.  Hitherto  in  life  I  had  kept 
my  heart  with  all  diligence,  determined  never  to 
love  till  my  head  said  where  and  when.  My  head 
approved  of  the  where,  but  not  of  the  when,  if  I 
was  loving  her  now,  unless  my  love  asked  only 
friendship  in  return.  I  tried  to  convince  myself 
that  that  was  all  that  I  did  ask  or  expect,  and 
called  upon  my  common  sense  to  witness  how 
absurd  it  would  be  to  think,  at  present  at  least, 
of  anything  beyond  friendship,  or  strong  friend 
ship  at  most. 

And  thus  I  battled  silently  in  the  intervals  of 
conversation,  not  quite  realizing  that  love  had 
got  as  quietly,  and  yet  as  irretrievably,  into  my 
heart,  and  was  at  work  as  effectively  as  a  sun 
beam  gets  into  a  bud,  steadily  pushing  it  wide 
open  to  the  full  rays  and  complete  influence  of 
the  sun.  Strange  to  say,  in  the  midst  of  this 
tumult  of  emotions,  I  was  happy,  proving  that 
moments  of  greatest  pain  may  not  be  entirely 
inconsistent  with  the  highest  heaven. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A   SERPENT   ENTERS    MY   GARDEN. 

AWE  rose  to  go,  and  I  was  anticipating  the 
supreme  happiness  of  Ethel's  exclusive 
companionship  home,  when  we  were  almost  start 
led  by  the  splash  of  oars  and  the  appearance  of  a 
boat  drawing  near  propelled  by  one  man,  and 
the  jumping  ashore  of  the  other  occupant,  who  had 
been  lying  lazily  in  the  bow.  Leaving  his  com 
panion  to  row  alone  up  the  river,  he  approached, 
and,  feigning  surprise,  saluted  Ethel  and  apolo 
gized  for  intruding  on  our  company.  Well,  I 
thought,  there  is  no  paradise  without  a  serpent, 
or  something  to  interfere  with  its  blessedness. 

Ethel  introduced  this  metaphorical  serpent  as 
Mr.  Stockmire,  a  young  merchant,  who  had  re 
cently  started  business  in  this  growing  suburb  of 
the  city,  and  a  member  of  her  church.  He  had  a 
dark  complexion,  large  Roman  nose  bent  a  little 
to  one  side,  and  the  whole  shading  and  cast  of 
countenance  partaking  somewhat  of  the  Jewish 
type,  and  yet,  in  view  of  the  unmistakable  marks 
of  intelligence  which  illumined  his  face,  he  was 

what  might  be  called  good-looking.      In  addition 

127 


I28  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


he  had  an  innocent  way  which,  though  studied, 
had  all  the  appearance  of  having  been  born  with 
him,  and  this  deception  was  enforced  by  a  seem 
ing  humility  and  a  drawling  tone  of  voice,  which, 
as  I  afterwards  learned,  led  almost  everybody  to 
say,  "  Stockmire  is  as  honest  as  the  day  is  long." 
The  state  of  my  heart  gave  sharpness  to  my  mind, 
and  I  read  him  through  as  if  he  had  been  an  open 
book,  although  afterwards  I  began  to  think  I  had 
been  mistaken. 

"  Glad  to  make  your  acquaintance,"  said  he,  ex 
tending  his  hand  in  a  semi-shy  and  semi-assertive 
style.  I  could  not  honestly  return  his  compliment. 
The  fact  is  I  was  not  glad  to  make  his  acquaint 
ance.  On  the  contrary,  I  could  have  parted  with 
him  at  that  moment  with  enthusiastic  resignation 
and  even  signed  a  petition  for  his  promotion  to  a 
consulship  in  Patagonia  or  Algiers,  or  yielded  with 
extreme  fortitude  to  his  immediate  translation  in 
a  whirlwind  to  heaven  ;  that  is,  if  prepared  and  it 
was  all  the  same  to  him  !  I  had  no  wish  to  hurt 
.him,  not  even  his  feelings,  and  so  I  answered  his 
expressed  gladness  to  see  me  by  saying : 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Stockmire,  I  hope  you  had 
a  pleasant  sail  or  row  on  the  river."  I  knew  in 
stinctively  he  had  not  rowed  any,  and  I  waited 
to  see  how  this  Uriah  Keep  would  answer. 

"  O,  yes,"  he  replied,  "  we  had  a  lovely  sail 
down  stream  ;  but  on  our  return  the  sails  were  of 
no  use,  and  we  had  hard  work  rowing  against  the 
current." 

I  felt  sure   that   the  "  we,"  who   had  done  the 


A  SERPENT  ENTERS  MY  GARDEN.  129 


work,  was  the  other  fellow,  and  I  asked,'"  Did  you 
blister  your  hands  badly,  Mr.  Stockmire?" 

"  Oh  !  no,"  he  said,  doubtless  fearing  I  would 
look  at  his  hands,  "  my  friend  was  too  generous, 
knowing  my  wrists  were  still  weak  from  a  sprain,  to 
allow  me  to  do  my  share  of  the  work.  It  was 
very  humiliating,  and  so  I  landed  to  relieve  him 
of  my  weight." 

After  telling  this  whopper,  which  I  could  see 
Ethel  received  as  literal  truth,  he  moved  from 
me  with  a  sinuous,  twisting,  sidelong  movement 
as  if  he  was  accustomed  to  get  through  narrow 
places,  and  to  do  it  easily  without  hurting  him, 
however  hard  it  might  rub  the  truth. 

Turning  to  Ethel,  he  continued,  "  It  did  make 
me  feel  mighty  mean  to  lie  there  in  the  bow  like 
a  great  lubber,  and  let  that  little  fellow  pull  me 
up  the  river.  If  he  had  been  as  large  as  I  am,  it 
would  have  helped  my  feelings  some,  but  being 
so  much  smaller,  it  was  really  excruciating." 

He  spoke  so  shamefacedly  and  with  such 
pathetic  tones  long-drawn  out,  sounding  so  very 
honest,  that  I  did  not  much  wonder  that  Ethel,  in 
her  kindness  of  heart,  wished  to  relieve  him  of 
his  apparent  mortification,  which  she  did  undoubt 
edly  according  to  his  wishes,  by  saying,  "  It  is  a 
credit  to  your  generosity,  Mr.  Stockmire,  that  you 
take  the  situation  so  much  to  heart  ;  but  really  I 
cannot  see  that  it  was  in  the  least  your  fault." 

Ah  !   I   thought,    this    man    deceives    the  very 
elect.      I  wonder    I    do    not    believe    in  him.      I 
wanted  to  say  something  very  ironical,  but  fear- 
9 


j3o  SHIPS  B\  DAY. 

ing  I  might  be  prejudiced,  and.  not  wishing  to 
disturb  the  pleasant  relations  between  this  pa 
rishioner  of  Dr.  Blentwood  and  Ethel,  to  whose 
friends  I  ought  certainly  to  be  polite,  I  simply 
said,  "I  think  I  saw  you  and  your  friend  about 
an  hour  ago  becalmed  and  reading  on  the  opposite 
shore  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  "  we  waited  there  several 
hours,  hoping  there  would  be  wind  enough  to  fill 
our  sail ;  and  so  we  spent  the  time  over  some  of 
Mark  Twain's  jokes." 

We  were  now  ascending  a  little  rise  of  land 
commanding  a  larger  sweep  of  country,  from 
which,  however,  the  light  was  slowly  stealing 
away  before  the  approaching  darkness,  which  was 
gently  settling  down  about  us,  a  thin  cloud  veil 
ing  the  moon,  and  dimming  the  light  of  an 
occasional  star,  narrowing  the  circle  of  our  vision, 
but  bringing  with  the  change  a  refreshing  cool 
ness,  and  giving  a  weird  beauty  to  the  landscape. 
The  darkening  river  lay  coiled  at  our  feet  like  a 
monster  Python  asleep,  with  its  scales  glistening 
here  and  there  in  the  shifting  rays  of  the  moon 
light,  and  the  maples,  which  stood  guard  on  its 
bank,  frowned  down  upon  it  in  deeper  shadows, 
while  the  soft,  sweet,  distant  sounds  of  the  guitar 
and  mandolin  rang  out  upon  the  air  about  us  with 
a  subdued  and  musical  echo. 

We  quickened  our  pace.  The  conversation 
was  mostly  carried  on  by  Mr.  Stockmire,  with  an 
occasional  comment  or  question  from  Ethel,  just 
sufficient  to  keep  his  smooth,  slow-moving  tongue 


A  SERPENT  ENTERS  MY  GARDEN  131 


in  steady  occupation.  I  was  glad  to  have  it  so, 
as  it  gave  me  an  excuse  to  be  silent,  which  I  con 
sidered  my  safest  course,  now  that  the  serpent 
had  got  into  my  garden  ;  for  I  felt  an  occasional 
righteous  impulse  to  make  him  describe  a  semi 
circle  in  the  air,  and  come  down  into  more  fitting 
companionship  with  the  slippery  eels  and  water 
snakes  of  the  river.  This  impulse  I,  of  course, 
checked,  and  with  the  thought,  Can  I  be  right  in 
my  hastily  conceived  prejudice,  and  Ethel,  who 
has  known  him  longer,  and  can  judge  more  dis 
passionately,  wrong?  It  was  not  my  nature  to 
think  evil  of  any  one,  and  I  tried  to  explain  my 
present  mood  on  Bacon's  theory  that, 

Suspicions  among  thoughts  are  like  bats  among  birds; 
They  ever  fly  by  twilight." 

When  we  reached  the  place  where  we  had  taken 
our  late  dinner,  and  where  we  expected  to  find 
the  musicians,  who  had  filled  the  air  with  so  much 
melody,  lamps  were  appearing  in  windows  here 
and  there,  though  it  was  still  light  except  under 
the  trees,  and  even  there  the  shadow  was  suffi 
ciently  luminous  to  make  the  place  and  the  hour 
only  the  more  romantic  ;  for  the  moon  had  laid 
aside  her  cloudy  veil,  and  was  smiling  down  upon 
us  in  every  feature  of  her  bright-shining  face. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

A    PLANTATION   DANCE. 

'"THE  music  had  ceased,  and  while  we  were 
wondering  where  the  authors  of  it  could  be, 
a  lurid  light  flamed  up  through  the  trees  skirting 
the  edge  of  an  embankment  just  ahead  of  us,  and 
going  there,  we  discovered  on  a  low  flat,  hemmed 
in  on  three  sides  by  an  almost  perpendicular 
ledge  wf.th  wooded  summits,  a  pile  of  pitch-pine 
knots  just  kindled,  and  about  a  dozen  colored 
m£n  and  women,  old  and  young,  preparing  for  a 
dance,  and  three  musicians,  two  of  them  white. 

"  O,  what  a  Charley  Lightheart  !  "  said  Ethel 
in  a  low  breath  ;  "  he  is  in  his  element  though, 
having  his  fill  of  enjoyment  in  the  rough,  un 
couth,  untrained,  and  unrestrained  happiness  of 
this  recently  liberated  people.  Nothing  delights 
Charley  so  much  as  to  contribute  to  the  happiness 
of  others,  high  or  low." 

The  musicians  were  seated  on  a  log.  Charley 
Lightheart  with  a  mandolin  ;  a  young  man,  whom 
neither  Ethel  nor  Stockmire  recognized,  with  a 
guitar;  and  Tom  with  a  banjo. 

The  music  struck  up,  and  almost  simultaneously 
the  whole  company  was  in  the  air,  with  arms  and 


A  PLANTATION  DANCE.  133 

feet  flying  out  in  all  directions,  yet  with  such 
good  time  and  ease  as  to  make  their  movements 
a  mixture  of  wonderful  grace  and  oddity.  From 
the  centre  of  the  plot  of  ground,  where  they  were 
grouped,  they  backed  in  couples  in  all  directions, 
advanced,  twisted,  whirled  on  one  foot,  swayed 
backward  and  forward,  clapped  their  hands, 
jumped  with  both  feet  and  then  on  one,  bowed 
low,  threw  kisses,  turned  their  backs  on  their 
partners,  danced  away  from  them,  whirled,  ad 
vanced,  shook  hands,  laughed,  took  each  other  by 
the  arm,  whirled  together,  then  separately,  placed 
both  hands  on  each  other's  shoulders,  face  to  face, 
then  side  by  side,  advanced,  retreated,  and  so  on, 
in  almost  endless  maneuvers,  all  the  while  keep 
ing  admirable  time.  It  wras  a  plantation-dance, 
very  amusing,  and,  at  the  same  time,  very  inter 
esting,  as  an  exhibition  of  the  survival  of  instincts 
and  characteristics," which  in  their  short  stay  in 
the  North  they  had  not  outgrown. 

I  was  much  amused  in  watching  Tom,  who 
seemed  the  very  incarnation  of  the  banjo  he  was 
thumbing,  so  animated  was  he  from  head  to  foot 
and  from  shoulder  to  finger-tips.  lie  appeared 
wholly  lost  in,  and  swayed  by,  the  spirit  of  the 
occasion  ;  and  if  he  had  any  consciousness  at  all, 
he  must  have  thought  himself  on  the  old  home 
plantation  in  Mississippi,  where  his  young  feel 
ings  grew,  and  where  ties  were  formed  and  broken, 
where  loved  ones  lived  and  died,  but  where  there 
were  bright  spots,  as  there  are  in  all  our  lives, 
which  we  love  to  look  back  upon,  and  live  over 


134  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


again.  His  feet  kept  up  a  constant  clatter  on 
a  board  beneath  them,  his  body  swayed  to  and  fro, 
sometimes  lifting  himself  entirely  from  the  log  on 
which  he  sat,  his  shoulders  rose  and  fell,  his  head 
wagged,  and  his  elbows  flopped,  as  if  he  could  not 
keep  himself  down  on  the  earth,  and  was  ready  to 
fly  off  into  space.  Though  constantly  humming, 
he  occasionally  raised  a  shout  as  a  sort  of  safety- 
valve  to  his  overwhelming  enthusiasm,  while  his 
face  wore  a  strange,  wild  expression  in  the  lurid 
light  of  the  pitch-pine  knots. 

We  rose  to  go,  thinking  we  would  steal  away 
and  not  let  the  merrymakers  know  we  had  seen 
them  ;  but  accidentally  or  purposely  (I  never  felt 
quite  sure  which)  a  stone,  on  which  Mr.  Stock- 
mire  had  been  seated,  was  loosed  from  its  position, 
and  rolled  down  over  the  ledge.  I  shouted  an 
alarm  to  the  dancers,  and  then  held  my  breath  in 
mortal  fear  that  one  or  more  would  be  fatally 
injured  by  the  large  and  swift-rolling  stone,  but 
the  latter  buried  itself  among  the  burning  knots, 
and  spent  its  force  scattering  the  firebrands,  and 
doing  no  other  damage.  The  dancers  stopped  as 
suddenly  as  if  struck  by  a  thunderbolt,  and  stood 
with  mouths  wide  open,  transfixed  with  fear  ;  and 
poor  Tom,  so  suddenly  brought  down  from  his 
ecstatic  flight,  was  looking  round  and  rubbing  his 
head  in  great  bewilderment. 

"  Let's  slip  away,  and  not  let  them  know  what 
did  it,"  whispered  Stockmire.  I  looked  at  Ethel, 
and  saw  that  she,  no  more  than  myself,  approved 
of  leaving  these  simple-hearted,  but  superstitious, 


A  PLANT  A  TION  DANCE. 


'35 


people  without  an  explanation  ;  and  so,  clamber 
ing  clown  to  a  small  sapling,  which,  rooted  firmly 
in  the  crevices  of  the  ledge,  leaned  out  over  the 
little  plateau  below,  and,  catching  hold  of  it,  I 
swung  myself  o!.<,  and  was  let  gently  clown  by  it 
within  two  or  three  feet  of  the  ground,  when  I 
dropped  easily,  and  exclaimed  at  the  same  time, 
"  I  am  glad,  good  friends,  nobody  is  hurt."  I  ex 
plained  the  accident  as  briefly  as  I  could,  and, 
after  expressing  the  hope  that  it  would  not 
interrupt  their  enjoyment,  I  turned  to  thank  the 
musicians  for  their  excellent  music. 

"  Is  dat  you,  Perfessor  Boomficld  !  "  cried  Tom 
in  great  astonishment,  holding  his  banjo  in  one 
hand  and  his  hat  in  the  other.  "  I  mose  fort  de 
debble  come  arter  me  for  sure,  when  de  noise  came 
and  de  fire  busted  and  went  flyin'  ebery  way.  I 
fort  maybe  my  time  come.  De  fac'  is,  Perfessor 
Boomfield,  I  oughtenter  be  cotched  givin'  my  influ 
ence  in  favor  ob  de  dance.  Dr.  Blentwood  doan, 
prove  of  it  ;  nudder  do  I  in  de  abstrac',  and  gen 
erally  speakin'.  But  you  see  all  de  dancers  here 
are  religious  folks,  and  my  ole  banjo  has  been  in 
a  powerful  number  ob  revival  meetin's,  and  is 
converted  to  de  Lord  togedder  wid  myself,  and 
dese  facs  make  it  big  dif  from  a  unregcnerate 
dance.  It  transmogrifies  it  tetotlum,  seems  to 
me.  Why,  Perfessor  Boomfield,  when  dc  dancers 
am  pious  and  de  music  am  pious,  too,  what  is  de 
dance  but  a  pious  meetin' — de  piety  spressin'  it- 
se'f  froo  de  graceful  action  and  de  stringed  instru 
ment,  rudder  dan  froo  de  vocal  utterance  ?  I  hope 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


you  cotch  de  sentiment,  and  foster  my  meaning, 
Perfessor  Boomfield." 

"  I  think  so,  Tom,"  I  answered,  controlling  my 
risibilities  as  best  I  could  ;  "  but  I  fear  the  distinc 
tion  you  make  is  too  metaphysical  to  convince  the 
worldly-minded." 

"  Jes'  so,  persacly,  it  may  be,  Perfessor  Boom- 
field,  and  dat  is  because  dey  is  obfuscated  by  sin, 
and  want  to  make  demselves  out  as  good  as  pious 
folks.  Two  pussons  may  do  de  same  act,  peers  to 
me,  and  one  of  dem  be  justified  befo'  de  Lord  and 
de  udder  condemn.  But  I'se  not  gwine  to  stan'  on 
mootable  ground.  Dis  yere  is  de  las'  dance  wid 
me.  It  is  de  farewell  plantation-dance,  de  good 
bye  to  de  ole  times  and  scenes  ob  childhood  and 
youth.  Wid  dis  yere  dance  I  shut  de  do'  to  de 
bygone  life,  sah,  and  look  to  de  future,  and  lib  in  it, 
sah,  as  a  free  citizen  ob  Massachusetts  in  de  Lord. 
I  jes'  wanted  to  open  de  ole  cabin  do',  and  shake 
hands  wid  de  ole  inmates  once  mo',  and  look  into 
deir  faces  a  spell,  and  den  come  away  foreber." 

Tom  could  say  no  more  ;  his  voice  choked,  and 
he  turned  away.  I  confess  I  was  touched  by  the 
simple  pathos  of  his  closing  words  and  manner. 
For  a  moment  I  could  not  control  my  voice  from 
sympathy  for  the  old  man,  who  stood  between  a 
past  and  a  future  so  essentially  different,  with  all 
his  habits  formed  in  harmony  with  a  past  civili 
zation,  and  yet  trying  with  all  his  might  to  bring 
himself  into  fellowship  with  a  life  and  a  civiliza 
tion  almost  entirely  new.  Do  we  not  expect  too 
much  sometimes  from  those  born  low  down  in 


A  f'LANTA  TION  DANCE. 


life?  and  would  not  a  little  thought  enable  us  to 
cease  wondering  why  such  unusual  means  as 
those  adopted  by  the  "  Salvation  Army"  reach 
them  where  our  more  refined  methods — so  refined 
as  to  be  out  of  sympathy  with  them — fail  ? 

Putting  a  hand  on  Tom's  shoulder,  I  said  almost 
in  a  whisper,  "  God  and  heaven  and  progress  are 
forward  and  not  backward,  Tom  ;  but  this  does 
not  imply  that  you  have  done  any  wrong.  Go 
ahead  steadily,  trusting  in  the  great,  patient 
Teacher,  who  does  not  expect  you  to  jump  clean 
out  of  your  past  self  with  one  bound. 

"  Ah  !  dat  is  comfortin'  sah,"  said  Tom  wiping 
his  eyes,  "  I  is  glad  He  can  wait  for  me  to  creep 
a  little." 

Charley  Lightheart  and  his  friend  joined  us  on 
our  way  to  the  house,  which  we  reached  in  a  few 
minutes. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

A   SOIREE   AND    MONOLOGUE. 

Y\/E  all  went  into  the  parlor,  which  was  already 
lighted  and  occupied  by  two  young  ladies 
waiting  to  see  Ethel.  The  mandolin  being  a  new 
instrument  to  me,  and  having  enjoyed  it  so  much, 
I  prevailed  on  Mr.  Lightheart  to  accompany  Ethel 
with  it  on  the  piano.  They  played  together  with 
fine  effect,  to  the  great  pleasure  and  satisfaction 
of  all.  Charley  Lightheart  sung  a  college  song, 
and  then  we  all  sang  together,  both  songs  and 
hymns,  chatting  and  laughing  in  the  preludes,  in 
terludes,  and  postludes,  till  we  had  chatted,  sung 
and  played  the  evening  pleasantly  away.  The  only 
drawback  to  me  was  the  lack  of  opportunity  for  a 
secret  dialogue  with  Ethel.  I  had  so  many  things 
to  say  to  her,  of  which  I  had  said  nothing  as  yet, 
and  the  thought  of  going  away  without  saying 
them,  and  feeling  the  inspiration  and  comfort  of 
her  exclusive  presence,  was  relieved  only  by  the 
privilege  of  standing  beside  her  and  turning  the 
leaves  of  her  music,  and  by  the  hope  that  we 
might  meet  again. 

Before  the  party  dispersed,  Charley  Lightheart, 
with  whom  I  had  become  rapidly  acquainted,  and 

138 


A  SOIREE  AND  MONOLOGUE. 


for  whom  I  felt  a  strong  liking  on  account  of  his 
frank,  open  nature  and  cheerful,  sunny  disposition, 
had  hinted  that  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to  accom 
pany  me  down  the  river,  and  I  had  invited  him 
to  do  so,  and  he  was  to  be  on  hand  early  the  next 
morning. 

When  I  retired  that  night,  I  found  it  difficult 
to  sleep,  so  many  thoughts  were  crowding  my 
brain,  and  so  many  questions  asking  for  a  solution. 
I  arose,  lifted  the  curtain  of  the  open  window, 
and  looked  out  upon  the  night.  The  stars  were 
shining  brilliantly,  and  the  moon  was  walking  the 
heavens  in  all  her  queenly  majesty,  making  strange 
contrasts  of  shadow  and  sheen  with  the  trees  and 
open  spaces.  The  river  was  flowing  smoothly, 
taking  on  fantastic  shapes  under  the  varied,  mar 
ginal  foliage  of  the  opposite  shore,  and  my  eyes 
followed  its  course  to  where  it  was  shadowed  by 
the  tall  elm  on  its  hither  bank,  under  which  Ethel 
and  I  had  sat  and  passed  the  early  twilight  so 
pleasantly. 

I  thought  of  all  she  had  said  in  her  sweetly 
accented  speech,  every  mark  and  turn  of  her 
kindly  disposition,  every  grace  of  manner  and  ex 
pression  of  her  beautiful  eyes,  and  I  said  almost 
aloud,  "  What  a  treasure  she  will  be  for  some 
body  !  What  a  pity  if  she  should  be  deceived 
into  marrying  some  one  unworthy  of  her  ;  one  who 
could  not  appreciate  her,  and  would  cause  her 
warm,  generous  heart  to  recoil  on  itself,  and 
wither  instead  of  blossoming  like  the  rose  ! 

Like  every  other  young  man  in  love,  I  thought 


j  40  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


nobody  could  make  her  so  happy  as  I  could,  no 
body  appreciate  her  so  thoroughly,  care  for  her 
so  tenderly,  or  watch  so  faithfully  for  the  smallest 
as  well  as  the  greatest  opportunity  to  please  her, 
and  make  her  life  full  of  satisfaction. 

It  did  not  occur  to  me  that  her  good  father  had 
had  years  of  experience  in  taking  care  of  her 
where  I  had  only  hours,  and  knew  better  than  I 
what  her  wants  were  and  how  to  meet  them.  If  I 
had  thought  of  this,  I  doubt  if  it  would  have 
made  any  difference.  Her  home  was  the  nearest 
perfection  I  had  ever  seen ;  but  it  lacked  one 
thing,  a  certain  something  more  than  father,  in  fact 
an  acknowledged  lover  or  husband,  and  that  lover 
or  husband  should  be — well,  of  course,  who  could 
fill  either  place  with  such  absolute  devotion  to 
her  interests  as  myself?  It  would  be  really  too 
bad,  horrid,  for  her  to  call  herself  the  wife  of  any 
other,  and  thus  fall  short  of  the  happiness,  she 
was  so  worthy  of,  and  so  capable  of  experiencing  ! 
It  was  my  duty  to  shield  her  from  anything  less 
than  perfect  happiness. 

These  thoughts  did  not  arise  from  any  over 
weening  notion  or  self-esteem  ;  for,  in  fact,  I  was 
very  humble  and  self-depreciating.  The  idea 
possessing  me  was,  that  nobody  could  love  her 
and  anticipate  and  supply  every  want,  before  it 
was  felt,  as  I  could.  Like  many  another  in  the 
glow  of  youth,  I  felt  that  no  home  on  this  earth 
was  quite  up  to  the  home  I  would  have.  Mine 
was  to  be  the  ideal  home,  a  paradise,  a  heaven 
below,  where  the  strings  of  its  harmony  should 


A  SOIREE  AND  MONOLOGUE.  141 


never  give  forth  a  discordant  note,  touched,  as 
they  always  would  be,  by  the  gentle  fingers  of 
loving  thoughtfulness. 

"But,  I  asked  myself,  will  she  be  able  to  see  how 
happy  I  can  make  her  ?  Is  there  anything  in  me 
she  can  love,  so  as  to  suggest  that  idea  to  her 
mind?  Was  there  only  friendliness  in  her  eyes 
when  they  looked  into  mine  under  that  elm  tree? 
I  could  not  tell.  It  was  so  easy  to  love  her  ;  but 
it  seemed  too  good  to  be  true,  that  she,  the  pos 
sessor  of  such  grace  and  beauty,  such  wealth  of 
mind  and  heart,  could  ever  be  mine.  Then  I 
thought  of  Stockmire.  What  if  that  snake  in 
the  grass  keeps  on  deceiving  her,  as  he  does  every 
body  else,  till  she  believes  him  an  angel  of  light  \ 
With  a  sharp  pang  I  crept  back  into  bed,  and 
went  to  sleep  praying  that  she  might  be  protected 
from  all  deception  and  from  all  harm,  and  that 
God  would  forgive  me  if  there  was  any  selfish 
motive  in  my  heart. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   MORNING   OF   DEPARTURE. 

\WHEN  I  awoke  from  my  fitful  slumber,  the 
^  "  morning  was  already  looking  at  me  through 
the  window  with  a  bright  and  smiling  face,  and 
the  birds  were  twittering  their  good-morrows  from 
Ethel's  favorite  maple,  whose  branches  reached 
my  windows  as  well  as  hers.  Thus  sweetly 
called,  I  hastily  dressed,  and  sat  down,  looking 
out  through  a  screened  window  at  the  clear  sky, 
and  breathed  the  fragrant  air  wafted  to  me  from 
thousands  of  blossoms.  One  or  two  fleecy  clouds 
in  the  horizon  were  blushing  in  crimson,  as  if 
ashamed  of  their  feeble  attempts  to  keep  down 
the  day,  while  the  last  traces  of  night,  that  had 
taken  refuge  in  a  distant  and  wooded  ravine,  were 
being  quickly  routed  by  the  resistless  invasion  of 
light. 

I  remained  a  considerable  time  looking  at 
objects  now  familiar  and  dear  to  me  from  very 
pleasant  associations.  Would  I  ever  look  on 
them  again  ?  What  influence  would  this  strange 
adventure  of  mine  have  on  my  future  ?  I  had 
unintentionally  invaded  this  loved  home  of  Dr. 
Blentwood  and  his  daughter,  and  wre  had  come 
into  each  other's  lives,  and  who,  save  One,  could 

142 


THE  MORNING  OF  DEPARTURE. 


foretell  the  result  ?  With  one  more  look  at  the 
big  elm  on  the  river  bank  and  the  rustic  seat  en 
circling  it,  which  seemed  to  have  a  peculiar  fasci 
nation  for  me,  now  that  the  best  girl  in  the  world 
had  sat  there,  and  looked  at  me  so  kindly,  and 
told  me  I  might  call  her  Ethel,  and,  with  a  good 
bye  to  my  beautiful  room,  I  took  my  satchel  and 
went  down  to  the  parlor. 

Dr.  Blentwood,  coming  in  at  that  moment 
extended  his  hand,  bidding  me  a  cordial  good- 
morning,  and  was  soon  followed  by  Ethel,  whose 
soft,  white  hand,  I  could  not  help  holding  a  little 
longer  than  mere  politeness  required. 

"  I  hope  you  rested  well,  Professor  Bloomfield, 
the  last  night  before  your  departure,"  said  Ethel, 
looking  at  me  with  her  usual  bright  smile,  though 
with  a  little  touch  of  sadness,  as  she  spoke  the 
last  word. 

"  Ah  !  yes,"  broke  in  the  father,  "  this  is  the 
morning  in  which  you  are  determined  to  tear 
yourself  from  us." 

"  That  is  just  the  word  to  express  my  feelings, 
doctor,"  I  replied.  "  It  will  tear  me  pretty  hard 
to  leave  this  beautiful  home,  where  I  have  been 
so  kindly  treated  and  been  made  to  feel  so  much 
at  home.' 

"  I  assure  you,'  responded  the  doctor,  placing 
a  hand  on  my  shoulder  in  a  friendly  way,  "  the 
tearing  is  not  all  on  your  side.  Your  coming  has 
brought  only  brightness  and  cheer,  and  we  feel 
indebted  to  you  for  getting  ill  at  the  right  time." 

Dr.  Blentwood  spoke  so  warmly  and  with  such 


1 44  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


evident  sincerity  beneath  his  smile,  and  Ethel 
looked  at  me  with  so  much  sympathetic  approval 
of  what  her  father  had  said,  I  was  glad  to  have 
breakfast  announced,  as  it  gave  me  time  to 
recover  my  self-control  before  I  should  need  to 
speak  again. 

We  had  an  extra-fine  and  royally  good  break 
fast,  which  I  attributed  in  part  to  Tom  and  Tot, 
who,  I  was  sure,  felt  a  special  interest  in  me,  per 
haps  because  they  had  borne  me  home  in  their 
arms  on  the  night  of  my  insensible  arrival ;  for  I 
have  noticed  this,  that  to  do  a  person  a  kindness 
is  a  long  step  towards  loving  him,  while  to  do 
one  an  injury  is  a  still  longer  stride  towards 
hating  him. 

The  table-manners,  in  recognition  of  God's 
bounty,  I  had  been  pleased  to  notice,  never 
degenerated,  at  Dr.  Blentwood's,  into  a  formal 
ity  ;  but  always  varied  with  each  meal  in  har 
mony  with  the  occasion  ;  and  so  there  was  no 
stiffness  after  it,  requiring  a  joke  to  put  the 
guests  at  their  ease  by  implying  that  the  ser 
vice,  though  necessary,  didn't  mean  anything. 
The  doctor  and  Ethel  seemed  always  to  enjoy 
this  service,  whether  it  was  the  giving  of  thanks, 
silent  or  verbal,  the  recital  of  Scripture  passages, 
or  loving  comment  on  some  phase  of  Providence. 
Whatever  form  the  service  took,  it  was  so  natural 
and  so  delightful,  that  it  was  a  preparation  for 
good  digestion,  and,  therefore,  being  in  harmony 
with  a  law  of  the  body,  must  have  been  in  har 
mony  with  its  Maker. 


THE  MORNING  OF  DEPARTURE.  145 


This  morning  the  doctor  asked  me  if  I  had  any 
particular  Scripture  on  my  mind,  and  I  repeated 
the  passage  most  comforting  to  me  at  that  time, 
which  was,  "  All  things  work  together  for  good  to 
them  that  love  Gocl." 

"  That  passage,"  said  the  doctor,  "  is  as  full 
of  blessed  encouragement  as  this  beautiful  June 
morning  is  of  sunshine,  and  ought  to  keep  every 
Christian  beaming  with  smiles  and  ready  to  take 
up  every  apparent  burden  with  gladness  of  heart. 
We  are  too  often  ungrateful  and  sad  when  we 
cannot  see  the  good,  whereas  we  should  always 
know  that  the  good  is  somewhere,  though  we 
may  not  at  the  moment  find  it.  For  instance,  it 
is  easy  to  see  the  working  for  good  of  your  com- 
in<j  amonir  us ;  for  we  have  made  a  valued  ac- 

o  o 

quaintance  and  have  been  permitted  to  be  of 
some  service  to  you,  and  therefore,  are  thankful 
and  glad,  but  it  is  not  so  easy  to  see  the  good  of 
your  going,  and,  therefore,  a  shade  of  sadness 
gathers  over  us;  and  yet,  while  we  cannot  escape 
the  shadow,  we  may  rejoice  at  the  light  stream 
ing  down  to  us  from  the  text  you  quoted,  that 
all  things,  without  exception,  work  together  for  a 
beneficent  end,  if  accepted  in  love.  Could  we 
look  far  enough,  we  might  see  opportunities  for 
personal  help  to  one  or  more  of  us  depending  on 
this  very  departure.  God  moves  in  mysterious 
ways  His  wronders  to  perform." 

Should  I  look  back  on  these  words  as  true 
prophecy  ? 

We  ate  our  last  morning  meal  together  with 
10 


1 46  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


considerable  cheerfulness,  which  good  Dr.  Blent- 
wood  held  to  be  a  Christian  duty  as  well  as  privi 
lege.  He  had  not  much  faith  in  the  giving  of 
thanks  at  table  and  then  proving  by  our  sadness 
that  we  are  not  grateful. 

"  We  need  never  to  be  utterly  cast  down,"  he 
said,  "  if  we  always  remember  not  sonic  things 
shall  work  together  for  good,  but  all  things,  and 
that  means  everything." 

"  You  would  not  then,"  I  asked,  "  regard  the 
providential  dealings  of  God  with  the  Israelites 
and  with  individuals  in  the  Bible  as  exceptional  ?  " 

"  The  Bible,"  he  ansxvered,  "  gives  us  a  little 
history  to  show  us  that  God  is  in  all  history.  It 
gives  us  a  touch  of  biography  here  and  there  to 
show  us  that  God  is  in  all  biography,  and  is  ready 
to  direct  and  control  every  one's  life.  Tom  and 
Tot,  as  well  as  we  three,  are  each  moving  under 
a  divine  archway  of  love,  which  watches  and 
anticipates  every  want." 

"  Sometimes  we  have  to  wait  long,"  Ethel 
asserted,  "  before  we  can  see  that  love,  especially 
when  clothed  in  disappointments  and  afflictions." 

"  Waiting,"  I  responded,  "  is  the  hardest  trial 
of  faith.  Washington  waiting  at  Valley  Forge 
required  a  truer  courage  than  when  facing  the 
enemy  in  active  battle.  There  is  a  kindling  of 
enthusiasm,  a  feeling  of  heroism,  a  consciousness 
of  doing  something,  in  an  advance,  even  upon  the 
enemy's  guns,  which  buoys  up  and  bears  one  on 
in  hope  of  victory." 

"  Therein  lies  the  advantage  of  youth  and  health 


THE  MORNING  OF  DEPARTURE.  147 

over  old  age  and  weakness,"  said  Dr.  Blentwood 
with  a  smile  of  resignation  ;  "  for  the  former  can 
act,  when  the  latter  may  only  wait." 

"  And  yet  what  a  blessing,"  I  interposed,  "  that 
when  there  is  no  more  active  service  for  us  in  this 
world,  hope  is  not  cut  off,  but  still  beckons  joy 
fully  to  a  future  of  immortal  activity,  as  bright 
as  anything  that  fills  the  mind  of  youth  !  " 

"  Yes,  and  how  gloriously  the  ripening  spirit, 
in  the  midst  of  approaching  disease  and  old  age, 
may  reflect,  for  the  benefit  of  others,  like  the  set 
ting  sun  upon  the  clouds,  the  rosiest  and  most 
resplendent  hues ! "  said  Ethel,  as  she  looked 
lovingly  towards  her  father. 

This  delicate  tribute  of  daughter  to  parent  I 
felt  to  be  as  sweet  as  it  was  poetic  and  as  beauti 
ful  as  it  was  real. 

When  the  meal  was  over,  the  servants  wrere 
called  in,  and  we  had  singing.  I  read  the  Scrip 
tures,  and  the  doctor's  prayer  was  so  appropriate 
and  touching,  remembering  me  in  it  so  fully  and 
tenderly,  I  was  much  moved,  and  when  he  closed, 
we  all,  even  to  Tom  and  Tot,  murmured  a  respon 
sive  Amen  in  unison. 

We  were  entering  the  hall  from  the  dining- 
room,  when,  through  the  open  outer  door  river- 
ward,  Charley  Lightheart  appeared,  swinging  his 
hat  at  us,  and  singing  out,  "  All  aboard  for  down 
stream  ;  land  lubbers  will  go  ashore." 

"  Are  you  ready  so  soon  ?  "  Ethel  asked,  as  he 
came  up. 

"  Completely    equipped,"    he     replied,   with     a 


1 48  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


military  salute,  "  and  awaiting  the  captain's  orders. 
All  my  plunder  is  down  there  in  the  boat,  sur 
rounded  by  fish  standing  up  perpendicular  in  the 
water,  and  looking  with  strained  eyes  at  the  good 
victuals,  which  they  smell  !  It  is  only  a  proof 
what  tempting  morsels  my  Dolly  can  cook." 

"  Who  is  Dolly,  you  naughty  boy  ? "  asked 
Ethel,  more  than  suspecting  that  he  referred  iron 
ically  to  his  sister-in-law. 

Putting  his  hand  on  his  heart  and  groaning,  he 
replied,  "  It  is  too  early  in  my  career  to  tell  you 
who  Dolly  is." 

Tom  had  got  my  boat  down  below  the  rapids 
the  night  before,  and  we  were  to  embark  nearly 
opposite  the  house.  I  took  my  hat,  and  was 
extending  my  hand  to  say  good-bye,  when  the 
doctor  said,  "  We  will  accompany  you  to  the 
boat."  I  went  to  the  kitchen  to  say  farewell  to 
Tot,  who,  as  I  shook  her  hand,  exclaimed,  "  Is 
you  'deed  guine,  sah  ?  God  bress  you  bery  much, 
all  de  time.  You  mus'  come  back  ;  for  de  good 
doctor  and  dear  Miss  Ethel  will  want  to  see  ye,  I 
knows  for  sure.  We  filled  de  box  'fore  ye  was 
up,  and  Tom,  who  made  de  box,  is  done  gone  wid 
it  to  de  boat.  Miss  Ethel  were  mighty  tickler 
what  went  into  de  box  for  ye,  sah.  She  dotes  on 
ye,  I  rekon,  and  ye  oughter  come  back  and  seen 
her  and  the  res'  of  us,  as  we  all  sets  heaps  on  ye 
too.  De  Lord  be  wid  ye,  honey,  and  hab  marcy 
on  you  soul  and  body.  Dat's  Tot's  prayer,  and 
de  prayer  is  white,  if  poor  ole  Tot's  face  be  brack. 
It's  de  innards  God  looks  at,  I  reckon." 


THE  MORNING  OF  DEPARTURE. 


149 


Though  amused  at  her  expressions,  I  assured 
her  of  the  truth,  that  I  had  as  much  confidence  in 
her  prayers  as  if  she  was  white,  and  the  finest  lady 
in  the  land,  and  with  this  assurance,  after  putting 
a  piece  of  money  in  her  hand,  I  left  the  kind, 
simple-hearted,  old  woman,  and  rejoined  the 
party,  who  were  waiting  for  me  on  the  lawn. 

There  was  no  chance  to  talk  with  Ethel  alone, 
but  I  managed  to  walk  between  her  and  her 
father,  and  took  the  liberty  I  fear,  scarcely  know 
ing  what  I  did  in  this  parting  hour,  of  taking  her 
arm  as  well  as  his  and  holding  both  till  we  reached 
the  shore.  Every  step  was  a  step  towards  separa 
tion,  perhaps  forever,  and  this  thought  revealed 
to  me  that  I  was  loving  this  girl  tenfold  more  than 
I  had  hitherto  been  conscious. 

I  had  always  intended  to  be  wise,  and  not 
allow  myself  to  love  where  there  was  no  hope ; 
but  here  I  was  without  a  particle  of  heart  left  in 
me,  and  no  assurance  of  Ethel's  in  return.  I  had 
been  imprudent,  but  what  could  I  do  about  it 
now  ?  I  did  not  know.  I  was  greatly  perplexed 
what  to  do.  It  was  not  clear  that  I  could  do 
anything.  I  felt  keenly  that  I  was  on  the  borders 
of  Paradise,  the  Paradise  of  all  my  hopes  of 
earthly  happiness,  and  might  never  be  so  near 
again,  and  if  I  took  her  arm  in  the  fear  of  losing 
her,  what  wonder?  How  could  I  help  it,  I  should 
like  to  know  ?  What  need  was  there  of  trying  ? 
I  don't  believe  I  did  try.  Trying  would  not  make 
the  Connecticut  River  flow  up  stream ! 


CHAPTER     XVII. 

CHARLEY   LIGHTHEART   TAKES   THE   HELM. 

OUT,  as  before  intimated,  I  do  not  know  what 
*-'  I  did.  I  only  know  that,  when  I  left  her  side, 
and  jumped  into  the  boat,  I  felt  as  if  I  had  fallen 
down  out  of  heaven,  and  the  door  was  closed 
against  me,  perhaps  forever.  I  was  so  agitated, 
so  dazed,  I  do  not  recall  what  I  said  to  any  of 
them,  as  I  shook  hands,  and  bade  them  good-bye 
That  I  was  a  fool  for  falling  so  hopelessly  in  love 
was  clear ;  but,  having  lost  my  wits,  I  might  as 
well  remain  a  fool,  I  thought,  and  would  anyway, 
persuading  myself  that  the  pain  of  being  a  fool  of 
that  kind  was  sweeter  than  the  rewards  of  being 
wise. 

Though  I  cannot  recall  words,  I  remember  the 
strange  thrill  which  ran  through  me  as  I  took 
Ethel's  pretty  white  hand,  and  pressed  it,  I  don't 
know  how  hard,  and  looked  into  her  tender,  liquid 
eyes,  so  deep  and  yet  so  full  of  light  ineffable  ;  and 
I  remember  also  how  they  all  looked  as  we  left 
them — Tom  with  his  cap  under  his  arm  sitting  on 
the  empty  wheelbarrow,  on  which  he  had  trundled 
my  things,  looking  a  little  disconsolate,  and  Dr. 
Blentwood  and  his  beloved  daughter  standing 


CHARLEY  LIGHTHEART  TAKES  THE  HELM.   151 

erect  and  waving  their  handkerchiefs  in  affectionate 
farewell.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  beautiful  picture 
they  presented,  especially  Ethel,  with  her  wind- 
tossed  ringlets,  fair  face,  and  superb  form  clothed 
in  a  white  morning  dress  symbolic  of  the  purity 
of  her  spirit. 

When  we  passed  the  point  of  land  where  Ethel 
and  I  had  sat  under  the  wide-spreading  elm,  and 
while  I  was  waving  back  my  adieus,  and  watching 
Ethel  with  longing  eyes,  Charley  purposely  hugged 
the  shore,  shutting  her  and  her  father  off  from 
view.  I  begged  him  to  point  the  bow  out  towards 
the  centre  of  the  river,  that  I  might  see  them  once 
more,  "just  once  more"  ;  but  he  was  inexorable. 

•'  You  must  save  your  eyes,  friend  Bloomfield," 
said  he,  "  they  are  sore  now  from  over-straining." 

"  Oh,  bother  my  eyes,  if  I  cannot  see  them 
again  !  "  I  exclaimed. 

"  Remember,  my  dear  brother,"  he  replied  with 
mock  gravity,  "  you  have  need  of  eyes  going  down 
the  river  ;  indeed,  everywhere  eyes  are  an  important 
adjunct  to  the  genus  homo.  As  the  son  and 
brother  of  a  physician,  I  really  cannot  allow  you 
to  strain  them  by  looking  again,  at  long  range 
against  the  wind,  at  the  Blentwoods.  Indeed,  I 
must  be  firm,  as  a  wise  custodian,  where  the 
health  of  your  eyes  is  concerned." 

"  Have  it  your  own  way,"  1  said,  half  petulantly 
and  yet  with  a  lugubrious  smile  at  his  drollery,  as 
I  lay  down  in  the  bow  of  the  boat,  and  gave 
myself  up  to  reflection.  What  if  I  should  never 
see  Ethel  again  ?  I  queried,  or  see  her  only  too  late 


152  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


after  her  engagement    or  marriage  to  another  ? 
Too  late  ! — what  an  awful   thought  !     And  then 
Stockmire   came    into    my    mind.      What   if  this 
hypocrite  should  gain  the  hand  of  that  angel ! 
"  Lightheart,"  I  exclaimed,  rousing  up — 
"  Call  me  Charley,"  he  interrupted.     "  When  in 
company  you  may  address  me  by  the  more  digni 
fied  title  ;  but  here,  between  you  and  me,  I  prefer 
the  great  condescension  of  allowing  you  to   call 
me  Charley.     The  feeling  of  humility,  which  this 
permission  begets,  does  me  good,  and  I  enjoy  it. 
Call  me  simply  Charley  ;  that  and  nothing  more." 
"  Well,"  I  resumed,  "  simple  Charley — 
"  Omit   the    adjective,"    he   interrupted    again, 
bowing    low    and    removing    his    cap.       "  It    ill 
becomes   me  to   listen   to   flattery,  after    I    have 
decided  to  humble  myself." 

"  Charley,"  I  resumed  once  more,  "  do  people 
believe  in  Stockmire  ?  " 

"  He  is  held  to  be  an  honest,  respectable,  indus 
trious,  and  successful  business  man,"  he  replied. 

"  But  is  he  sincere,  conscientious,  and  always 
what  he  pretends  to  be  ?  " 

"  He  is  so  accepted  generally,  I  think." 
"  Do  the  Blentwoods  think  highly  of  him  ?  " 
"  I  have  no  reason  to  suspect  otherwise." 
"  Is  he  after  Ethel — in  love  with  her  ?  " 
"  I  should  not  wonder  ;  everybody  is,  unless  you 
are  an  exception." 

This  did  not  comfort  me  much,  and  I  exclaimed, 
"  Depend  upon  it,  Stockmire  is  a  wolf  in  sheep's 
clothing." 


CHARLEY  LIGHTHEART  TAKES  THE  HELM.   153 

"  Ah !  "  said  he  with  a  wise  look,  "  you  may 
flatter  Stockmire  as  much  as  you  please.  But 
didn't  you  notice  how  very  honest  he  talks  ? 
That  drawl  of  his  proclaims  him  genuine  to  most 
of  folks  without  any  further  recommendation. 

"  I  know  it,  and  therein  lies  his  dangerous 
power  ;  but  I  could  not  trust  him.  I  have  a 
feeling,  I  can't  tell  why,  that  he  works  his  way 
underhandedly,  and  will  carry  a  point  apologeti 
cally,  under  cover  of  humility  and  the  pretended 
pressure  of  other  people's  opinions,  which  he  is 
not  above  forging  to  suit  his  purpose." 

"  Well,  well  !  for  an  extemporaneous  judgment, 
you  hew  pretty  close  to  the  line,  methinks," 
murmured  Charley  half  to  himself. 

"  Watch  him,  study  him,  and  if  my  judgment 
proves  true,  warn  Ethel  in  time." 

"  Yes,  yes  ;  but  why  are  you  so  desperately  in 
earnest  and  solemn  about  it?" 

"  Because  that  girl  is  innocent-hearted,  unsus 
pecting,  and  worthy  of  the  best  man  that  ever 
lived,  and  it  would  be  monstrous,  murderous,  an 
awful  criminal  blunder  in  her  friends,  to  permit  her 
to  go  unwarned  into  the  sacred  bands  of  wedlock 
with  a  heartless  man  capable  of  developing  into — 
I  dare  not  say  what." 

After  a  pause  Charley  raised  his  eyes  to  me  and 
said  abruptly,  "  Elbert  Bloomfield — 

I  stopped  him  with,  "Simply  Elbert,  if  you 
please;  just  that  and  nothing  more." 

He  waved  his  hand  in  deprecation,  and  went 
on,  "  Elbert,  my  son,  you  are  in  love." 


154  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  In  love,"  I  exclaimed  ;  "  do  you  know  any 
thing  about  love  ?  Were  you  ever  in  love, 
Charley  ?  " 

He  dropped  the  paddle  with  which  he  was  toying, 
stood  up  as  straight  as  an  arrow,  and,  with  head 
erect,  smote  on  his  breast,  and  said,  looking  down 
on  me  with  well-feigned  superiority,  "  I  am  a  free 
man,  free  in  body,  free  in  mind,  free  in  heart." 

"  You  ought  to  pose  for  some  comic  almanac," 
said  I,  laughing  for  the  first  time. 

He  went  on  unheeding.  "  Young  man,  I  am  sorry 
for  you.  Falling  in  love,  as  has  been  well  said, 
implies  that  love  is  beneath  one.  The  girls,  I 
admit,  are  winsome — very  pretty  to  look  at,  but 
my  dear  fellow,  beware  !  Love  is  a  snare  ;  at  last  it 
biteth  like  a  serpent,  and  stingeth  like  an  adder !  " 

He  then  went  off  into  an  eloquent  peroration, 
exhorting  me  to  flee  from  love  as  from  a  pestilence. 
Seeing  that  he  was  about  to  resume  his  seat,  and 
wishing  to  be  entertained  further,  I  asked,  "  What 
makes  you  think  I  am  in  love?  " 

Turning  away  his  head  he  thrust  back  his  hands 
with  a  repellent  gesture,  very  dramatically,  as 
much  as  to  say,  somethings  are  too  obvious  to  be 
discussed. 

"  Well,"  I  said,  "  if  you  will  have  it  so,  it  can 
only  elevate  and  ennoble  a  man  to  love  a  person 
like  Ethel  Blentwood." 

"  Ah  !  "  he  replied  with  a  pitying  look,  "  I 
perceive  that  the  chains  of  love's  sophistry  are 
already  about  your  neck.  That  you  esteem  Ethel 
very  highly  is  an  honor  to  you,  but  I  conjure  you, 


CHARLEY  LIGHTHKART  TAKES  THE  HELM.   155 

as  you  value  your  massive  brain,  to  love  no 
woman  ;  for  it  will  make  a  fool  of  you.  Fasten 
your  affections  on  me." 

"  No,  Charley,  I  claim  my  right  to  be  a  fool." 

"  No  man,  Elbcrt,  has  a  right  to  make  a  fool  of 
himself." 

"  What  reasons  have  you  for  that,  Charley  ?  " 

"  Well,  my  boy,  as  I  must  make  a  Dombey 
effort  to  save  you,  I  will  give  them.  In  the  first 
place,  there  are  born  fools  enough  without  the 
making  of  any  out  of  sensible  people  ;  and, 
secondly,  a  man  should  make  the  most  of  him 
self,  and — and  to  be  a  fool  is  not  the  best  thing 
one  can  become." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Elbert  !  thou  art  already  hopelessly  en 
tangled  in  the  subtile  meshes  of  metaphysics, 
poor  love-lost  boy  !  " 

"  No,  Charley,  the  question  has  been  seriously 
raised  by  German  philosophers,  who,  in  their 
despair  of  explaining  the  problems  of  life,  have 
recently  declared  it  preferable  to  be  a  flat-headed 
Indian  and  a  fool  than  to  be  wise.  A  fool  has  no 
such  anxiety,  and  has  no  need  to  commit  suicide, 
as  some  wise  ones  have  done,  to  escape  the  misery 
of  thinking  on  the  awful  and  inexplicable  mys 
teries  of  life." 

I  saw  I  had  puzzled  him,  and  it  amused  me  to 
see  him  rack  his  brain,  and  run  his  fingers  through 
his  hair,  as  if  to  open  spaces  for  ideas  to  enter, 
looking  wise  all  the  while,  and  pretending  he  was 
only  halting  to  show  his  contempt  for  such 


156  SHIPS  BY  DAV. 


reasoning.  At  last  he  ventured  the  follow 
ing: 

"  Every  blessing  has  its  penalty  attached  to  it, 
and  the  penalty  of  having  nerves  is  pain,  but 
would  you  become  an  oyster  for  the  sake  of  free 
dom  from  pain  ? 

"  Your  implied  argument,  Charley,  does  not 
quite  meet  the  case.  The  question  is  not  who 
would  or  who  wouldn't,  but  which  is  the  happier 
state,  that  of  the  wise  man  who  thinks  and  suffers, 
or  that  of  the  fool  who  has  no  care.  The  only 
escape  from  this  philosophy  of  despair  for  a 
worldly  wise  man  is,  I  think,  to  become  a  Chris 
tian.  Jesus  of  Nazareth  casts  a  light  upon  earth's 
path,  and  the  light  and  love  revealed  by  Him  can 
alone  give  rest  to  the  overburdened  brain,  and 
make  thinking  a  painless  pleasure.  Education 
out  of  Christ  may  bring  misery  and  despair,  as 
the  mere  worldling  has  experienced  ;  but  in  Christ 
the  more  one  knows  the  nobler  and  deeper  his 
joys." 

Charley  dropped  his  head,  the  fun  all  gone  out 
of  his  face,  for  he  was  not  a  professed  Christian  ; 
but  rallying,  that  he  might  not  appear  too  serious, 
he  took  up  his  assumed  dignity  again  and  said, 
"  My  brother,  I  am  glad  to  find  your  mind  has 
not  all  gone  down  into  the  jelly-pot  of  love.  You 
have  answered  well.  I  could  not  have  done  bet 
ter  myself.  There  is  great  hope  of  you  yet.  I 
am  more  encouraged  than  ever  to  do  my  best 
to  rescue  you  from  the  morass  of  love  into 
which  you  have  fallen,  and  where  the  more  you 


CHARLEY  LIGHTHEART  TAKES   THE  HELM.   157 


struggle  alone,  the  deeper  you  will  sink  into  the 
mire." 

"  Stockmire  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  Ah  !  "  he  said,  "  the  clutches  of  Stockmire 
are  no  comparison  to — 

He  never  finished  that  sentence. 


CHAPTER   XVIII. 

AN   INVOLUNTARY   BATH. 

/^  HARLEY  was  standing  with  both  feet  close 
^->  to  the  side  of  the  boat,  and  so  had  no  room 
to  enlarge  his  base  of  support  in  that  direction, 
and,  the  sail  striking  him  in  the  midst  of  his  sen 
tence,  his  efforts  to  regain  the  perpendicular  only 
made  matters  worse,  and  over  he  went  into  the 
water,  and  shut  the  door  behind  him.  When  he 
saw  he  must  go,  however,  the  ludicrousness  of  his 
situation  struck  him,  and  he  said,  as  he  went  down, 
"  Will  see  you  later."  I  watched  him,  and  when 
he  came  up  I  could  just  reach  him  astern,  and, 
hauling  him  to  me,  I  assisted  him  into  the  boat. 

"  As  I  was  saying,"  he  went  on  as  soon  as  he 
got  seated,  and  as  if  nothing  had  happened,  the 
water  still  running  down  his  face,  and  his  hair  and 
clothes  clinging  to  him  like  the  fur  to  a  drowned 
rat,  "  as  I  was  saying,  when  my  attention  was 
called  to  the  river  bottom — 

"  Oh,  don't !  "  I  interrupted,  laughing  so  heartily 
that  I  could  scarcely  speak.  "  I  am  more  inter 
ested  now  in  another  question." 

He  looked  at  me  with  quiet  dignity,  more 
pleased  to  see  me  laugh,  I  know,  than  anything  I 

'5*  ^ 


AN  INVOLUNTARY  BATIf. 


could  do,  and  with  his  imperturbable  good-nature 
beaming  in  every  feature,  he  said  bowing,  "  I  am 
bound  to  respect  your  curiosity,  my  boy.  Please 
state  your  question,  as  I  shall  only  be  too  grati 
fied  to  impart  to  you  any  desired  information." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  between  gasps  for  breath  and 
repeated  outbursts  of  unmanageable  laughter, 
"  what  in  the  world  were  you  diving  after  beneath 
the  surface  of  the  river?  Tell  me  that,  will  you?" 

"  Don't  you  know?"  said  he,  with  well-assumed 
and  grave  surprise.  "  I  thought  my  conduct  per 
fectly  clear.  But  I  forget  that  you  are  not  a 
paleontologist,  nor  an  antiquarian  of  any  sort. 
To  answer  your  question,  then,  categorically, 
Elbert,  I  was  diving  after  the  buried  treasures  of 
experience.  I  have  learned  not  to  let  opportu 
nities  to  gain  information  slip  by  me  unused.  In 
fact,  I  watch  for  them,  and  seeing  one  of  these  I 
went  for  it,  suddenly,  it  is  true,  for  it  was  then 
or  never.  It  may  have  seemed  impolite  to  leave 
you  in  the  middle  of  a  sentence;  but  the  sentence 
could  wait,  while  a  lost  opportunity  is  lost  forever. 
Are  you  satisfied?  Is  the  wisdom  of  my  conduct 
clear  to  you  now  ?  " 

"  Clear  as  daylight,"  I  shouted,  as  soon  as  I 
could  command  my  vocal  organs;  "and  now,  for 
the  future  welfare  of  the  paleontologist,  I  suggest 
that  we  seize  upon  the  opportunity  of  going 
ashore  in  that  sheltered  nook  or  bay,  just  ahead 
of  us,  where  you  can  change  your  clothes,  and 
have  them  drying  in  the  sun,  while  we  eat  dinner." 

"  A   capital    idea,    Elbert,    I    think    your    mind 


!6o  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


gives  evidence  of  being  fully  restored  now  to  its 
former  state  of  health." 

We  landed,  and  after  drawing  our  boat  well  up 
on  the  beach  and  looking  about,  we  were  both 
agreed  that  a  better  place  for  our  purpose  could 
not  have  been  found.  Charley  rapidly  disrobed, 
wrung  out  his  clothes  and  hung  them  on  poles 
stuck  in  the  sand,  and  with  plenty  of  undercloth 
ing  in  his  satchel  he  was  soon  dressed  in  dry, 
white  linen.  The  weather  was  warm,  and  he  was 
more  comfortable  without  than  with  his  outer 
garments,  and  as  he  stood  in  bright  slippers 
combing  his  hair  by  the  aid  of  a  pocket  mirror, 
I  could  not  but  admire  his  neat  and  comfortable 
appearance. 

He  was  a  fine-looking  fellow,  well  built,  of  a 
rather  florid  complexion,  dark  auburn  hair,  that 
made  me  think  of  Ethel's  ;  full,  blue-gray  eyes, 
that  twinkled  and  snapped,  and  told  beforehand 
almost  what  he  was  going  to  say,  and  a  face 
broad  at  top,  and  narrowing  down  to  a  rather 
small  chin. 

"  White  becomes  you,  Charley,"  I  said. 

"  That  is  what  my  mother  used  to  say,"  he 
replied,  putting  his  mobile  features  into  one  of 
those  fun-provoking  expressions,  which  he  seemed 
to  possess  in  almost  infinite  variety,  "  and  it  re 
minds  me  to  say  to  you  as  the  result  of  my  ample 
experience,  the  treasures  of  which  you  have  seen 
me  ready  to  dive  after,  even  at  the  risk  of  being 
impolite,  that  it  is  the  duty  of  every  man  to  look 
attractive  in  his  night  clothes/' 


AN  INVOLUNTARY  BA  777.  161 


"  Ancient  and  sapient  sir,  how  long  have  you 
lived,  pray  ? 

"  Thousands  of  years  longer  than  the  centena 
rian,  who  counts  his  age  by  clock-time  ;  for  I  have 
travelled  faithfully  over  the  varied  fields  of  imag 
ination  and  research  till  my  tread  has  become 
heavy  under  the  staggering  weight  of  accumu 
lated  knowledge  !  " 

"  That  is  as  much  as  I  can  stand,"  I  said,  "  un 
til  after  dinner,  and  I  adjourn  the  meeting." 

We  found  a  very  pleasant  dining-spot,  grassy, 
and  provided  with  a  log  for  a  scat,  and  shaded  by 
an  oak,  near  the  edge  of  the  bluff  forming  a  part 
of  the  little  bay  in  which  our  small  craft  was 
sheltered,  and  reached  therefrom  by  a  gradual  as 
cent.  Here  we  tugged  our  boxes  containing  our 
food.  I  confess  I  had  some  curiosity  to  see  what 
Ethel  and  Tot  had  provided  for  me.  Anything, 
I  thought,  which  Ethel  had  cooked,  or  ordered, 
or  smiled  upon,  even  a  crust  from  her  hands,  I 
could  cat  with  a  relish. 

Tom  had  made  a  very  convenient  box,  with 
pockets,  shelves  and  all  needed  partitions  to  pre 
vent  the  food  from  being  jammed  or  mixed, 
doubtless  under  the  superintendence  of  Ethel ; 
and,  as  I  lifted  the  cover,  and  looked  in,  and  took 
out  dish  after  dish,  and  saw  how  much  thought 
had  been  expended  for  my  comfort,  I  exclaimed, 
unaware  I  was  thinking  aloud,  "  The  dear  girl !  " 

Charley  either  did  not  hear,  or  pretended  not 
to,  being  busy  with  his  own  "  cupboard,"  as  he 
called  it,  and,  much  relieved,  I  could  let  my 
ii 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


thoughts  flow  back  to  Ethel  once  more  as  I  ex 
amined  my  bill  of  fare.  There  were  pies,  cakes, 
tarts,  turnovers,  hard-boiled  eggs,  pickles,  pepper, 
salt,  sandwiches,  chicken-pie,  strawberry  short 
cake,  and  a  tin  box  labeled,  "  Pour  this  over  the 
short-cake."  There  were  other  delicacies  and 
creature  comforts,  but  I  could  not  examine  fur 
ther  just  then,  and,  turning  to  Charley,  I  asked 
with  enthusiasm,  "  Do  you  know  what  is  the  prime, 
essential  quality  of  an  angel  ?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do,"  Charley  quickly  answered ; 
"  it  lies  in  the  wings." 

"  Hens  have  wings,  child,  and  hens  are  not 
angels,"  I  remonstrated.  "  We  associate  wings 
with  angels  merely  to  symbolize  their  swiftness." 

"  True,"  he  responded  with  diplomatic  shrewd 
ness,  "  but  what  is  swifter  than  love?  Love  and 
wings  are  synonymous,  almost  identical  ;  for  love 
is  so  full  of  wings  within  and  without,  that  you 
cannot  cut  away  the  smallest  portion  without 
clipping  its  wings  also.  A  wingless  love  is  a  mis 
nomer  in  man  or  angel.  What  is  it  that  wings 
the  early  bird  with  a  worm  in  its  mouth  to  its 
patient  mate  or  young  ?  Is  it  not  love?  What 
is  it  that  has  just  now  winged  the  soul  of  Elbert 
Bloomfield  back  to  Graynoble  with  the  swiftness 
of  lightning,  and  made  his  face  all  aglow  with  the 
vision  of  Ethel  Blentwood  ?  Could  the  vision 
have  been  possible  without  wings  of  love?  " 

"  Who  now,"  I  asked  with  some  embarrassment, 
"is  floundering  in  the  sophistries  of  metaphy 
sics?" 


A  A'  IN  VOL  UN  TA  R  Y  BA  TH.  1 63 


"  Ah  !  "  said  he  with  mouth  agape,  as  if  as 
tounded  at  my  question  ;  and  then  relaxing  and 
blinking,  quietly  asked,  "  Please  give  us  your 
definition  of  the  highest  angelic  quality." 

"  Well,  Charley,  I  think  it  is  that  kind  of  love 
known  as  thoughtfulness  for  the  welfare  of 
others." 

Promptly  straightening  himself,  he  asseverated, 
"  I  accept  your  terminology  with  great  joy.  It 
shows  you  quite  out  &f  the  bog  and  quicksands 
and  standing  on  solid  granite.  Thoughtfulness 
for  others,  I  freely  admit,  will  make  a  present 
heaven  anywhere,  everywhere."  And  he  took 
off  his  hat  in  profound  respect  to  his  own  re 
mark. 

"  Charley,"  said  I,  "  you  must  dine  with  me  to 
day.  This  short-cake  will  never  be  so  good  again 
as  now,  and  here  is  enough  for  us  both." 

He  looked  longingly  at  the  tempting  dish  and 
replied,  "  Out  of  pure  regard  to  you,  my  dear 
friend,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  economics  of  life, 
I  accept  your  pressing  invitation." 

We  sat  down  on  the  grass  resting  our  backs 
against  the  log  we  had  proposed  for  a  seat,  and, 
with  a  wooden  plate  in  each  lap  containing  half 
of  my  strawberry  short-cake  covered  with  deli 
cious  cream,  ate,  with  ancient  fork  and  tin-spoon 
and  with  many  blessings  on  Ethel  and  Tot,  a 
very  hearty  meal.  For  drink  we  had  a  bottle  of 
cold  coffee  diluted  to  our  taste  by  "  oirnon  catho- 
licon  "  or  the  universal  wine,  which  bubbled  up 
pure  and  fresh  from  a  spring  in  the  bay  below. 


1 64  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Charley,"  said  I  holding  up  a  mica  cup  of 
this  sparkling  water,  "  thousands  upon  thousands 
not  only  waste  their  twenty  years,  like  Rip  Van 
Winkle,  but  desolate  their  whole  lives  and  the 
lives  of  others,  because  they  reject  this  wine  of 
Nature  for  the  fire-water  of  Satan." 

"  Truth,  every  word  truth,"  responded  Charley, 
holding  up  another  cup  of  the  same  cool,  clear 
beverage ;  "  you  do  speak  forth  the  words  of 
truth  and  soberness,  and,  therefore,  in  the  lan 
guage  of  poor  deluded  Winkle,  may  you  live 
long  and  prosper."  He  drank  the  last  drop  in 
his  cup,  and  set  it  down  with  a  complaisant  nod, 
adding,  as  he  did  so,  "  Thus  endeth  our  first  din 
ner  together  after  leaving  the  classic  shades  of 
Graynoble." 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

AFTER-DINNER   EXERCISE 

"  \17HAT  say  for  a  walk,  Charley?" 

"  My  lord,  thou  spcakcst  mine  own 
thoughts,"  he  replied.  "  A  gentle  stroll  will  be  a 
friendly  act  towards  the  short-cake  I  am  outside 
of,  and  may  prevent  the  employees  in  the  great 
laboratory  of  my  stomach  from  striking  ere  their 
work  of  mysterious  chemistry  be  complete." 

"  Were  not  our  Creator  a  benevolent  being,"  I 
said,  "  this  process,  which  we  think  so  little  about, 
might  be  very  painful  instead  of  the  pleasant 
thing  it  is." 

"  That's  so,"  said  Charley,  stopping  a  moment 
as  if  struck  with  a  new  idea  ;  "  I  never  thought  of 
that  before.  Good!  How  lie  could  rack  and 
torture  us  with  every  mouthful  digested,  if  so 
minded  !  " 

"  And  what  conclusion  do  you  draw  from  this, 
Charley?" 

"  This  clearly,  that  a  malevolent  Creator  would 
put  an  end  to  all  pleasure  in  eating  strawberry 
short-cake  though  direct  from  the  hands  of  so 
lovely  a  creature  as  Ethel  Blent  wood.  Factum 

165 


1 66  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 

factorum !  what  would  become  of  all  the  fine 
suppers  and  the  sociability  of  the  world,  if  guests 
at  table  knew,  that  for  every  pleasurable  sensation 
in  the  palate,  they  must  pay  tenfold  in  pains  of 
the  stomach?  Glad  'tisn't  so,  chum." 

"Towards  whom  are  you  glad,  Charley?" 

"  My  dear  Elbert,  I  am  glad  first  for  myself ;  and 
then  my  gratitude  goes  on  to  the  inventors  of 
agricultural  tools;  to  the  farmer  who  ploughs  and 
sows  and  reaps  and  thrashes  and  winnows ;  to  the 
miller  who  grinds  ;  to  the  inventor  of  yeast  cake, 
though  I  would  rather  bread  be  raised  without  it ; 
to  the  purveyors  of  condiments;  and  especially 
to  the  good  cook,  black,  white  or  yellow.  I  should 
not  omit  to  add,  however,  that  I  eat  with  a  keener 
relish  when  a  pretty  girl,  like  Ethel,  prepares  the 
viands.  If  you  ever  get  married,  my  boy,  stip 
ulate  that  your  wife  do  the  cooking.  How 
much  happier  the  world  would  be,  if  wives  took 
as  much  pride  in  cooking  as  in  piano-playing, 
or  painting  or  any  other  accomplishment !  Why 
don't  they  ?  Ah !  my  dear  Elbert,  therein  lies 
the  weakness  of  the  female  mind." 

"  Why  do  you  leave  out,  in  your  gratitude,  the 
very  Being  whom  you  have  virtually  admitted  to 
be  the  source  of  all  the  pleasure  of  eating?"  I 
asked,  determined  not  to  be  led  from  my  main 
point. 

"  If  I  am  grateful,"  he  replied  soberly,  "  to  the 
creatures  who  serve  me,  am  I  not  thereby  grateful 
to  the  Creator?  " 

"  Not  necessarily,  although  you  cannot  be  truly 


AFTER-DINNER  EXERCISE.  167 


thankful  to  the  Creator  with  no  gratitude  to  the 
creature.  If  a  man  love  not  his  brother  whom 
he  has  seen,  how  can  he  love  God  whom  he  has 
not  seen?  The  greater  includes  the  less,  but  the 
converse  of  this  may  not  be  true." 

"  But  why  need  I  declare  gratitude  to  Deity?" 

"  For  your  own  good,  and  the  fitness  of  things." 

"  How  for  my  good  ?  " 

"  Gratitude  unexpressed  soon  dies." 

"  But  I  do  express  it  towards  men." 

"  And  that  keeps  it  alive  towards  men." 

"  Is  not  that  practically  enough  ?" 

"  No,  not  enough.  The  man,  \vho  fails  to  put 
himself  into  direct  communication  with  God  Him 
self,  suffers  a  great  loss." 

"  How  ?  " 

"To  refuse  is  in  itself  hardening  to  all  the 
better  feelings  ;  besides,  not  being  linked  to  Him 
by  personal  sympathy,  there  is  a  lack  of  inward 
inspiration  and  the  helpful  influence  of  God's 
Spirit." 

"  Does  not  that  Spirit  shine  upon  all  ?  " 

"  Certainly,  and  so  does  the  sun  shine  upon  that 
ledge  yonder  as  well  as  on  this  green  turf  we  are 
treading,  and  what  a  difference  !  The  ledge  gives 
back  no  visible  token,  while  the  responsive  turf 
throws  up  towards  heaven  a  beautiful  vegetation, 
as  if  in  grateful  acknowledgment  of  blessings 
received." 

Charley  Lightheart  was  silent  for  some  moments 
and  seriously  thinking. 

"  Elbert,"  he  asked  slowly,  "  arc  not  the  ledges 


1 68  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


doing  all  they  are  capable  of  doing  in  return  for 
the  sun's  rays  ?  " 

"  I  suppose  so,"  I  answered,  anticipating  his 
point ;  "  but  are  you  doing  all  you  can  to  prove 
your  appreciation  of  the  Divine  Benevolence, 
whose  rays  have  been  falling  on  you  every  moment 
of  your  life  ?  " 

A  long  silence  followed,  \vhich  I  would  not 
break,  knowing  it  to  be  well  employed.  At 
length  he  stopped  me,  and,  putting  a  hand  on 
each  of  my  shoulders,  and  looking  me  directly  in 
the  eye,  said,  "  You  are  the  most  sensible  on 
religious  subjects  of  any  one  I  ever  met.  Now,  I 
ask  in  all  candor,  do  you  really  believe  any  change 
can  take  place  in  me,  through  faith  in  God,  cor 
responding  in  the  slightest  degree  to  the  differ 
ence  between  that  ledge  towards  which  we  are 
travelling,  and  the  springing  vegetation  beneath 
our  feet?  " 

"  We  must  remember  Charley,  that  all  physical 
illustrations  are  imperfect,  and  are  used  as  aids  to 
the  imagination  and  not  as  literal  correspondence. 
You  may  be  very  near  the  kingdom  (and  I  wish 
you  would  step  into  it  at  once),  and  may  only 
need  to  recognize  God's  personal  love  to  bring 
your  whole  heart  into  joyful  union  with  Him. 
The  change  in  you  would  be  chiefly  within  ;  for 
outwardly  you  are  already  moral,  thoughtful  for 
others,  and  upright  in  all  your  dealings,  pretty 
good  evidence,  one  might  say,  that  you  are  a 
Christian  already  in  spirit  without  knowing  it. 
An  acknowledged  conscious  love  for  God  would 


AFTER-DINNER  EXERCISE.  169 


give  you  a  deeper  peace,  increased  joy,  sweeter 
views  of  life,  and  a  nobler  charity  ;  but  to  the  on 
looker  you  could  not  have  a  marked  change,  like 
the  conversion  of  the  outwardly  wicked." 

"  But,  Bloomfield,  do  you  think  church  mem 
bers  arc  really  any  better  than  the  so-called 
world's  people  ?  " 

"  On  the  whole;  yes  ;  although  there  arc  many 
and  grave  exceptions." 

"  Don't  the  exceptions  spoil  the  rule?" 

"  No,  the  counterfeit  coin  proves  the  genuine. 
People  do  not  counterfeit  that  which  is  worthless. 
Besides,  are  not  all  the  best  people  you  know 
either  in  the  church  or  respectful  attendants  on 
its  service  ?  " 

"  Yes,  that  I  think  is  so  ;  but  there  are  so  many 
church  members,  who  exhibit  anything  save  a 
Christian  spirit,  to  say  nothing  of  square  deal 
ing!" 

"  Too  true,  Charley,  but  it  is  not  the  fault  of 
Christianity.  Some  people  have  a  great  deal  of 
piety,  but  not  a  particle  of  religion  !  They  talk 
gushingly,  or  are  great  sticklers  for  forms  and 
ceremonies  and  the  avoidance  of  amusements,  but 
their  conduct  shows  their  piety  to  have  no  moral 
fibre,  and  that  Christianity  never  got  any  intelli 
gent  hold  on  them." 

"  I  have  seen  so  many  of  that  class,  whose  talk 
has  been  the  merest  cant,  or  the  most  drivelling 
nonsense,  when  not  the  most  outrageous  blas 
phemy,  that  I  have  been  disgusted  and  repelled 
from  the  very  thought  of  publicly  professing  Chris 


170  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


tianity.  To  profess  more  than  what  is  possessed 
is  a  crime  against  decency  and  humanity,  and  for 
one  I  prefer  not  to  profess,  but  in  secret  to  possess, 
and  to  walk  honestly  and  manfully  before  God  and 
man.  To  live  truly  is  my  desire,  but  to  put  on 
the  forms  of  piety,  save  in  my  own  closet,  is,  in 
view  of  what  I  see  around  me,  repugnant  to  all 
my  notions  of  real  manliness." 

He  spoke  warmly. 

"  What,  to  be  more  specific,  have  you  observed, 
Charley  ?"  I  asked,  wishing  to  get  at  his  difficulty. 

"  I  have  observed  churches  exhibiting  as  much 
selfishness  as  any  worldlings.  I  have  seen  mem 
bers  full  of  religion  on  Sundays  and  in  prayer- 
meetings,  but  never  carrying  any  of  it  into  their 
business.  I  know  of  women  who  talk  pious 
twang,  profess  the  severest  creed,  bow  their 
heads  on  entering  church,,  sorrow  over  their  un 
converted  husbands,  and  yet,  by  their  very  peev 
ish,  snappish,  fretful,  uncontrolled  temper,  drive 
those  same  husbands  from  their  homes,  and  then 
complain  because  they  are  not  more  at  home. 
You  must  have  noted  that  my  pious  sister-in-law 
would  make  a  hell  where  her  husband  would  make 
a  heaven,  and  does  not  God  know  the  honest  good 
heart  of  my  brother  as  surely  as  he  knows  the 
mere  technical  religion  of  his  wife  ?  " 

"  Anything  else,  Charley?  " 

"  Yes,  I  heard  a  native  Missouri  preacher,  who 
had  been  a  "  bushwhacker  "  in  the  civil  war,  killing 
our  boys  individually  in  irregular,  murderous  war 
fare,  say  from  the  pulpit,  that  failing  to  join  a 


A  FTER-D  INNER  EXER CASK.  1 7 1 


church  was  a  sin  big  enough  to  damn  a  world,  and 
yet,  the  audience  swallowed  him  metaphorically, 
and  let  the  drivelling  rascal  preach  on  ! 

"  Near  literary  Boston  I  heard  an  intelligent-look 
ing  man  say  in  prayer-meeting,  that  to  go  to  a 
theatre  was  sin  enough  to  send  a  man  to  hell  for 
ever,  and  yet  that  pious  twaddle  went  unrebukcd, 
when  some,  at  least,  who  heard  him,  knew  that  in 
business  he  cheated  and  lied  shamefully.  Only 
think  of  his  knocking  at  heaven's  gate,  and  offer 
ing  as  his  only  qualification  for  admittance,  that 
he  never  went  to  a  theatre !  When  I  see  men 
vaporing  against  mere  technical  sins  of  their  own 
construction,  I  always  suspect  that  they  are 
trying  to  erect  a  platform  on  which  they  can 
stand." 

"  Have  you  finished  ?  " 

"  No,  one  thing  more  burns  in  my  heart,  and  I 
must  open  the  safety-valve  and  let  it  out.  I  know 
a  preacher  who,  for  fifteen  years  has,  like  his 
Master,  been  going  about  doing  good,  visiting 
and  praying  with  the  sick  and  the  sorrowing, 
preaching  to  the  poor  and  the  imprisoned,  feed 
ing  the  hungry,  and  clothing  the  naked !  More 
than  a  hundred  otherwise  unprotected  children, 
whom  he  has  adopted  and  cared  for,  are  growing 
up  to  call  him  blessed.  And  yet,  this  devoted, 
godly  man,  solely  because  he  is  a  Universalist, 
and  believes  that  all  will  finally  repent  and  be 
made  fit  to  be  saved,  was  refused  admittance  at  a 
funeral  into  a  so-called  evangelical  pulpit,  though 
requested  to  officiate  with  the  pastor  !  Where  is 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


the  evangel  in  such  conduct  as  that  ?  Where  is 
the  sweet  gospel  principle,  which  would  lead  a 
man  to  stalk  so  ruthlessly  into  the  presence  of 
death,  and  wound  afresh  hearts  already  lacerated 
and  bleeding  under  the  heavy  los:.  of  a  near  and 
dear  one  gone?" 

"  Was  it  a  matter  of  conscience  with  the  pas 
tor?  "  I  asked  almost  in  a  whisper. 

"  He  so  claims  ;  but  that  is  the  kind  of  con 
science,  which,  in  the  early  Romish  church,  blessed 
the  knife  that  was  to  drink  the  blood  of  a  Protes 
tant.  I  freely  accord  liberty  of  opinion  to  a 
narrow  mind  as  well  as  to  a  broad  one,  when  that 
liberty  is  not  accompanied  with  a  blow.  Had  it 
been  on  any  other  occasion,  I  would  not  mention 
it  here  as  an  objection  to  a  Christian  profession, 
but  when  in  the  presence  of  death,  where  all  ranks 
are  levelled  and  all  distinctions  are  done  away, 
where  the  war  drums  cease  to  throb  and  the  bat 
tle  flags  are  furled,  what  shall  we  say  of  a  con 
science  which  leads  a  man  to  clang  his  iron-bound 
creed,  as  a  Goliath  might  his  heavy  armor,  dis 
playing  its  sharp  points  over  the  dead  body  of 
one  of  his  own  church  members,  a  wife  and 
mother  in  Israel,  in  utter  disregard  of  her  dying 
wish,  and,  too,  when  everybody  else  is  wreeping 
tears  of  sympathetic  sorrow !  When  a  creed 
takes  the  heart  out  of  a  man,  like  that,  it  savors 
more  of  the  satanic  than  of  the  Godlike.  Think 
of  the  awful  sacredness  of  a  dying  request ! 
Professor  Bloomfield,  could  you,  would  you  have 
refused  that  request?  " 


AETER-J)JNNER  EXERCISE. 


'73 


He  trembled  with  emotion,  and  almost  equally 
moved  I  answered,  "  Oh  !  Charley,  you  know  I 
would  burn  at  the  stake  rather  than  do  such  a 
thing.  But  we  must  soften  our  judgment  of  this 
pastor  with  the  thought  that  men's  minds  and 
consciences  often  play  strange  tricks  with  them. 
He  doubtless  reasoned  that  to  admit  a  Universal- 
ist  into  his  pulpit,  even  at  a  funeral  and  for  the 
sake  of  a  dying  request,  would  be  wickedly  coun 
tenancing  a  grave  error ;  and,  perhaps,  he  took 
credit  to  himself  for  suppressing  his  sympathies 
in  accordance  with  his  own  ideas  of  loyalty  to  the 
dead  and  living  !  " 

"On  that  ground  you  may  lessen  the  guilt  of 
the  Spanish  Inquisition." 

"  Perhaps  so,  Charley,  for  its  supporters 
reasoned,  or  pretended  to  reason,  that  it  was 
better  to  kill  a  heretic  than  to  let  him  ruin  him 
self  and  others  too  !  " 

"  That  only  proves  a  conscientious  devil  the 
worst  kind  of  a  devil,  and,  also,  that  a  human 
heart  may  be,  as  the  Bible  says,  deceitful  and 
desperately  wicked.  The  pastor  referred  to,  it 
seems  to  me,  and  the  Spanish  Inquisitors  reasoned 
in  the  same  way,  both  moved  by  denominational 
selfishness,  assuming  that  no  one  but  themselves 
had  a  conscience,  and  both  willing  to  inflict  suffer 
ing,  physical  or  mental,  not  on  themselves,  in 
deed,  but  upon  others,  to  maintain  the  supremacy 
of  their  creed  and  of  themselves.  I  tell  you, 
Elbert,  the  modern  Pharisee,  had  he  the  power  of 
the  State  behind  him,  could  no  more  be  trusted 


174  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


with  our   liberties   than  the  ancient   Pharisee,  or 
the  slayer  of  the  Huguenots." 

"  Well,  Charley,  admitting  all  you  would  imply 
against  these  men,  would  you  present  them  as 
representatives  of  real  Christianity?  " 
"  They  are  allowed  to  represent  it." 
"  Too  much  so,  I  admit,  but  the  Author  of 
Christianity  does  not  allow  them  to  represent  it: 
for  He  calls  them  hypocrites,  who  strain  at  a  gnat 
and  swallow  a  camel.  His  severest  denunciations 
were  against  church  members  of  their  class,  who 
were  so  puffed  up  with  spiritual  pride  that  they 
could  not  learn  anything  outside  of  their  own  circle 
of  ideas  ;  and  hence  it  was  that  publicans  and 
harlots,  who  were  more  teachable,  would  go  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  before  them.  It  is  the 
heart,  the  spirit,  or  the  love,  which  is  of  prime 
importance  according  to  Jesus.  Paul  tells  us  that 
love  is  the  greatest  of  Christian  virtues.  That 
man  is  to  be  pitied,  therefore,  whose  sympathies, 
whose  humanity,  and  whose  higher  and  holier 
instincts  are  swallowed  up  by  the  faulty  logic  of 
an  inhuman,  self-glorifying  creed,  or,  if  you  will, 
by  a  faulty  deduction  from  a  faultless  belief  ;  for 
a  man  may  have  an  infinite  creed  and,  at  the 
same  time  an  infinitesimal  heart !  But,  Charley, 
there  are  large-hearted,  straightforward,  thorough 
going,  high-toned  Christians,  and  I  very  much 
wish  to  see  their  number  augmented  by  your 
public  enrollment  among  them.  They  need  you, 
and  true  Christianity  needs  you." 


CHAPTER    XX. 

A   NARROW    ESCAPE. 

V\7E  had  now  reached  the  elevated  ledge,  which 
was  our  objective  aim,  and  ceased  our  con 
versation  to  look  about  us  and  enjoy  the  view. 
Below  us  a  sun-lit  valley  stretched  away  to  the 
north,  and,  winding  through  it,  lay  the  smooth 
waters  ofthe  Connecticut,  apparently  as  motionless 
as  if  fast  asleep  and  unruffled  by  a  dream.  On 
either  side  were  beautiful  intervals  and  cultivated 
fields,  from  which  rose  hills  of  more  or  less  grand 
eur,  some  with  wooded  summits,  and  all  prophetic 
of  warmth  and  food  for  man  and  beast.  Over  our 
heads  the  branch  of  an  elm,  rooted  in  the  soil  far 
below  us,  spread  itself  out  like  an  umbrella  to 
shield  us  from  the  hot  sun.  In  it  hung,  half-con 
cealed,  a  long  oriole's  nest,  swaying  in  the  gentle 
bree/e,  and  revealed  to  us  by  the  appearance  of 
the  male  bird  of  bright  plumage,  the  most  beauti 
ful  our  country  affords,  impelled  by  a  God-given 
instinct,  carrying  in  his  beak  a  worm  with  which 
to  feed  his  housewifely  mate. 

I  was  dilating  on  the  footsteps  of  God  and 
man,  brought  out  in  such  pleasing  contrast  in  the 
panorama  before  us,  when  Charley  stepped  for- 


176  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


ward  towards  the  edge  of  the  bluff  to  get  another 
view,  but  delayed  midway  to  pluck  a  tiny  flower 
growing  in  a  crevice  of  the  rock,  and  during  that 
momentary  delay,  and  just  as  he  was  about  to 
step  over  the  fissure,  the  great  rock  there  parted 
beneath  his  very  feet,  leaving  one  foot  projecting 
over  the  dizzy  height,  and  fell  with  a  tremendous, 
reverberating  crash,  imbedding  half  its  size  in  the 
earth  below,  the  upper  half  breaking  off  and  roll 
ing  and  bounding  with  a  fearful  velocity  down  a 
steep  ravine  towards  the  river,  carrying  every- 
thing  before  it.  Charley  wavered  on  the  brink  of 
the  fearful  precipice  from  vertigo  or  the  draft 
of  air  set  in  motion  by  the  rock-slide ;  but  as  I 
sprang  to  grasp  him,  he  rallied  to  a  safe  footing, 
and  we  looked  at  each  other  in  silence,  and  took 
a  long  breath  of  relief. 

"  What  a  narrow  escape !  "  I  exclaimed,  trem 
bling  with  mingled  excitement  and  thanksgiving 
for  his  safety. 

"A  pretty  close  call!"  said  Charley,  trying  to 
smile.  "  Had  I  not  stopped  to  pluck  that  flower, 
I  should  have  been  on  the  wrong  side  of  that 
fissure,  and  gone  down  with  the  falling  rock  to 
my  death." 

"  God  has  saved  you,"  I  said  warmly,  grasping 
one  of  his  arms  in  both  of  my  hands,  as  if  to 
make  sure  of  him.  "  Give  Him  the  praise." 

"  Was  it  not  the  flower,  and  my  love  for  it, 
that  kept  me  from  taking  the  fatal  step  ? "  he 
asked. 

"Yes,"    I    answered,   "they  were   the  tangible 


A  NA  RN  OW  ESC  A  PE.  177 


instruments;  but  God  caused  that  flower  to  grow, 
and  gave  you  the  impulse  to  enjoy  it." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  God  worked  a  miracle  to 
save  my  life  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not  ;  but  is  it  too  much  for  you  to 
believe  that  an  infinite  Being  of  unlimited  knowl 
edge  must  have  seen  you  on  this  rock  when  He 
created  this  world,  and,  therefore,  must  have 
taken  your  perilous  condition  into  account?  The 
laws  of  disintegration  and  gravitation,  which  car 
ried  away  that  rock,  are  laws  of  God,  and  so  also 
are  the  laws  of  germination  and  growth  which 
produced  that  flower.  No  law  has  been  violated, 
and  yet  you  have  been  saved  by  Divine  Provi 
dence  as  surely  as  if  God  had  stretched  out  a 
visible  hand  to  draw  you  back  from  that  brink  of 
death." 

"If  God  at  creation  arranged  to  save  me  from 
violent  death  to-day,  it  seems  an  ice-cold,  long 
time  ago  that  he  took  an  interest  in  me !  Does 
He  care  for  me  now?  That  is  what  I  want  to 
know." 

"  Remember,  Charley,  that  I  said,  '  took  you 
into  account,'  which,  of  course,  must  be  true,  else 
the  Creator  was  not  omniscient  when  arranging 
and  unfolding  his  plans  ;  and  bear  in  mind,  too, 
that  God  is  in  all  his  works — not  was  in  them  at 
creation  merely.  He  is  the  same  yesterday,  to 
day,  and  forever,  and  the  past  and  future  are  not 
separated  in  His  mind,  as  in  ours.  We  think  one 
thought,  and  then  drop  it  before  we  can  think 
another ;  but  with  God  all  times  and  all  thoughts 

12 


178  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


are  ever  and  always  present.  All  things  with 
Him  are  as  one  eternal  now.  This  faulty  expres 
sion  is,  perhaps,  the  best  hint  I  can  give  you  of 
what  I  mean.  'And  when  I  say,  He  took  your 
life  into  account  at  creation,  I  mean  that  He 
made  room  for  you,  and  made  His  plans  large 
enough  to  provide  for  every  circumstance  in 
your  life  without  breaking  any  of  His  own  laws, 
or  interfering  with  the  established  order  of 
things." 

"  You  mean  to  say,  then,  that  He  was  just  now 
actively  employed  in  keeping  me  from  that  one 
step,  which  would  have  proved  my  probable 
death  ?  " 

"  I  do.  Because  God  acts  continuously  and 
methodically,  and  so  uniformly  that  we  can  count 
on  it,  is  no  proof  that  He  does  not  act  at  all,  but 
is,  on  the  contrary,  the  very  best  proof  of  His  all- 
wise  and  all-powerful  management.  A  finite  and 
unwise  mind  may  have  to  change  his  plans  to 
meet  every  new  case ;  but  with  God  there  are  no 
new  cases,  and  no  need  of  afterthoughts  to  pro 
vide  for  them.  Jesus  says,  '  My  Father  worketh 
hitherto  and  I  \vork.'  The  world  is  full  of  His 
life-giving  and  active  presence.  He  is  in  the 
Providence  that  hovers  over  the  robin's  nest 
swinging  above  our  heads.  He  is  in  all  this 
springing  life  of  field  and  forest  before  us.  He 
is  mirrored  in  the  heavens  above  us,  and  in  the 
calm  depths  of  the  river  below  us.  He  is  in 
every  flower,  as  well  as  the  one  you  hold  in 
your  hand.  I  think  flowers,  especially,  must 


A  NA  R  R  O IV  ESC  A  PE. 


I79 


speak   to  you    hereafter  more   forcefully  of  God 
than  they  ever  have  done  before." 

"  Yes,"  he  answered,  holding  up  the  tiny 
flower,  "  I  realize  the  truth  of  Mary  Ainge  De 
Vere's  words  : 

'  Sometimes  a  little  flower  will  tell  us  more 
Of  God's  good  wisdom  than  the  grandest  words 
That  ever  preacher  preached  or  organ  chords 
Thundered  within  the  temple's  sacred  door! 
A  flying  seed  wafted  on  busy  wind, 
A  bird-nest  hiding  where  the  branches  lean, 
A  glimpse  of  sunlit  valley,  left  behind, 
With  sweet  homes  nestled  in  the  living  green, 
Some  friendly  voice  that  greets  us  on  the  road 
In  common  salutation  brief  and  kind, 
A  gentle  glance  by  stranger  eyes  bestowed, 
The  clear  face  of  a  child  with  tender  meaning  lined, 
A  lonely  grave  where  violet  buds  have  blown — 
These  are  the  presents  by  which  God  is  known.'  " 

"  Where  did  you  learn  that?  "  I  asked. 

"  In  the  church  one  Sunday  when  the  sermon 
was  dull.  I  found  it  on  a  slip  of  paper  between 
the  leaves  of  a  hymn-book,  and  I  learned  it  to 
repeat  to  my  mother  the  following  Sunday  in 
expiation  of  my  purpose  to  take  a  walk  into  the 
woods  instead  of  the  meeting-house." 

"  Well,  your  time  was  not  wasted,  to  say  the 
least,  whatever  you  may  have  lost  in  not  listen 
ing  to  the  sermon.  Did  you  take  to  the  woods 
the  next  Sunday  because  you  disliked  the 
church  ?  " 

"  In  part,  I  suppose,  but  I  always  loved  the 
woods  and  fields,  and  always  felt  better  after 


180  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


roaming  in  them.  They  seem  to  have  a  per 
sonality  all  their  own,  and  to  speak  to  me  with 
out  affectation  or  deceit,  telling  just  what  they 
think  of  me  frankly,  truthfully,  and  with  a  sweet 
confidence  that  won  me  in  childhood,  and  wins 
me  to-day  and  makes  me  feel  that  in  them  I  can 
ever  find  faithful  friendship." 

"  Your  enjoyment  of  nature  does  not  come 
from  flattered  self-esteem." 

"  On  the  contrary,  nature  never  flatters  me. 
She  tells  me  my  faults,  and  I  go  from  her  com 
munion  with  aspirations  for  a  purer  and  better 
life — aspirations,  however,  which  have  in  them 
no  sting,  no  bitter  self-reproaches,  only  a  noble 
discontent  and  a  strong  yearning  to  be  some 
thing  finer  in  quality  every  way  than  I  am." 

"  Do  you  see  clearly  anything  except  stern, 
unrelenting  law  in  nature?" 

"  Yes,  sir,  I  do.  I  know  theologians  picture 
her  as  cold,  unyielding,  and  merciless,  and  she  is 
in  some  of  her  aspects  when  she  shakes  the 
heavens  with  lightning  and  the  solid  ground 
with  earthquake,  and  we  hear  the  crash  of  land 
slides,  and  witness  the  destruction  by  wind  and 
flood  ;  but  the  verdant  hills  and  sweet  valleys, 
the  varied  flowers,  the  singing  birds  and  laughing 
waters,  and  the  glad  sunshine  have  each  a  fellow- 
feeling  for  me,  which  bids  me  hope.  While  they 
tell  me  to  be  perfect,  they  say  it  so  benevolently, 
so  gently,  and  with  so  much  tender  sympathy, 
that  there  is  implied  in  it  the  fact  of  a  path  lead 
ing  to  perfection,  and  that  my  business  is  to  seek 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  181 

and  find  it.  In  other  words,  I  see  the  Creator  in 
nature,  something  more  than  law,  even  person 
ality  and  mercy.  It  is  true,  that  rock-slide  we 
so  narrowly  escaped,  said  pretty  plainly,  '  Get 
in  the  way  of  my  broken  law  and  you  shall  be 
crushed  ;  '  but  that  tiny  flower  growing  in  the 
fissure  mercifully  said,  '  Stay  here  and  you  will 
not  break  that  law  ;  stop  here  and  be  saved.'  " 

"  My  dear  brother,"  I  ejaculated  in  surprise, 
"  I  am  very  glad  you  look  so  deeply  into  nature. 
You  will  take  hold  of  the  Great  Teacher's  hand 
and  come  out  right  in  the  end,  I  trust." 

"  With  your  help,  Elbert.  I  confess  I  have 
read  her  to-day  more  clearly  than  before." 

"  What,  then,  is  the  creed  of  nature,  so  far  as 
you  have  read  ?  " 

"  It  lies  in  four  lines  of  poetry,  which  I  re 
cently  quoted  to  my  sister-in-law,  Mrs.  Light- 
heart,  in  reply  to  some  of  her  unreasoning  views 
of  religion,  and  runs  thus  : 

'Not  enjoyment  and  not  sorrow 
Is  our  destined  end  or  way ; 
But  to  act  that  each  to-morrow 
Finds  us  better  than  to-day.'  " 

"  A  very  good  creed  ;  but  how  can  you  live  it? 
— that  is  the  question.  I  grant  you  that  God  in 
nature  beckons  you  to  a  higher  life,  but  it  is  like 
a  man  calling  you  to  come  ashore  when  you  are 
struggling  in  the  waves.  W7hat  you  want  is  a 
life-boat.  To  rise  out  of  the  surging  tides  and 
from  the  strugglings  and  buffetings  of  sin  may  be 


1 8  2  StffPS  BY  DAY. 


the  very  thing  you  are  trying  to  do,  and  you  need 
something  more  than  a  beckon  ;  you  need  help, 
and  help  personal  and  immediate.  Nature  is  full 
of  the  thought  and  the  life  of  God  ;  but  to  know 
His  real  love,  to  feel  His  all-embracing  tenderness 
and  helpful,  heart-beating  sympathy,  you  must 
come,  I  think,  to  Jesus  Christ." 

"  You  may  be  right,  Elbert,  but  I  cannot  quite 
see  why  Christ  is  the  only  way  to  a  helpful  knowl 
edge  of  God.  To  me  there  is  something  more 
than  a  beckon  in  nature.  There  is  inspiration 
and  sympathy,  and  consequently  help.  Nature 
is  fresher  and  more  direct  from  the  hand  of  God 
than  even  the  Bible ;  for  the  latter  may  have 
suffered  in  transcribing  from  interpolations  and 
changes,  while  the  former  comes  to  me  at  first 
hand — not  second-hand." 

"  My  dear  Charley,  that  you  see  so  much  in 
nature  is  because  you  read  through  the  revelations 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Had  Christ  not  come  and  inter 
preted  God  to  the  world,  you  would  not  see  in 
nature  what  you  now  see.  He  having  come,  you 
were  borne  into  His  views  of  God,  as  expressed  in 
His  life  and  words  ;  and,  whether  you  have  read 
the  Bible  or  not,  being  in  literature  and  in  the 
common  speech  of  the  people,  and  forming  a 
necessary  part  of  your  inherited  ideas,  you  can 
not  look  at  nature  except  through  the  glass  of 
Christianity." 

"  Reasonable  words,  Elbert,  but  look !  Is  it 
possible  time  has  rushed  so  rapidly  ?  The  whole 
western  sky  is  aglow  with  the  bright  coloring 


A  NARROW  ESCAPE.  183 


of  the  declining  sun  !  It  has  no  frown.  It  is  one 
broad  benignant  smile  divine,  full  of  benediction, 
and  makes  one  thirst  for  something  of  its  beauty 
in  his  own  life." 

"  Yes,  Charley,  it  should  lead  us  to  pray  with 
Moses,  the  beauty  of  the  Lord  our  God  be  upon 
us.  Christ  revealed  that  beauty,  and  through 
Him  it  can  descend  into  the  human  heart." 

Perhaps  anticipating  what  I  was  about  to  add, 
he  startled  me  by  saying,  "  I  am  full,  and  must 
digest  the  large  amount  of  thought-food  you 
have  already  given  me  before  receiving  any  more. 
Mental  indigestion  is  the  bane  of  the  world.  If 
people  digested  what  they  heard  before  accept 
ing  or  rejecting  it,  there  would  not  be  the  slow 
progress,  the  waste  of  words,  or  the  irritating 
nonsense  so  extensively  uttered  for  solemn  truth. 
Why,  there  are  crowds  of  so-called  Christians, 
who  are  only  spiritual  dyspeptics.  They  have 
never  mastered,  really  and  fully,  one  clean,  spiri 
tual  idea,  and,  so  never  assimilating  truth,  never 
making  it  a  part  of  their  life,  they  say  one  tiling 
and  act  another,  and  drive  away  sensible  people 
by  stripping  Christianity  and  its  Author  of  every 
semblance  of  reason  and  even  common  sense. 

"  My  sister-in-law  is  one  of  these,  though  it  would 
not  be  a  graceful  thing  to  say,  were  I  not  sure 
that  you  know  it  already.  If  I  ever  accept 
Christianity,  it  will  not  be  her  Christianity.  She 
would  make  my  brother  the  rankest  infidel,  did 
he  not  see  Christianity  sensibly  and  attractively 
interoreted  in  such  lives  as  the  Blentwoods. 


184  SHJPS  BY  DAY. 


"  This  conflict  of  hateful  and  attractive  views  of 
Christianity  may  serve  the  purpose  of  making  me 
more  careful  and  sure  of  my  ground  in  my  step- 
by-step  investigation  of  its  claims.  However 
thoughtless  I  may  be  in  other  things,  I  shall  not 
be  thoughtless  in  accepting  or  rejecting  Chris 
tianity."  He  extended  his  hand,  and  I  took  it 
as  a  pledge  of  his  sincerity  and  warm  friendship. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

A   G  II  0  S  TL  Y     R  I  D  E. 

returned  to  our  landing-place  in  quiet,  each 
busy  with  his  own  thoughts.  I  could  not 
keep  Ethel  out  of  my  mind.  "  Where  is  she?  "  I 
asked  myself.  "  Not  in  the  house  at  an  hour  like 
this.  She  must  be  in  the  maple  grove,  enjoying 
this  beautiful  sunset ;  or  is  she  under  that  elm 
tree,  where  we  sat  last  together?  Is  she  thinking 
of  me  ?  How  much  I  would  give  to  know  !  What 
a  dear  good  girl  she  is!  How  devoted  to  her 
father!  It  must  take  a  more  transcendent  love 
than  I  can  hope  to  inspire  to  win  her  away  from 
such  a  father.  Would  it  not  be  selfish  in  the  best 
man  living  to  ask  her  to  leave  a  home  where  she 
is  so  needed  and  so  happy  ?  But  she  is  worth 
waiting  for  a  thousand  years.  "  Yes,"  I  repeated 
and  this  time  aloud  and  with  emphasis,  "  a  thou 
sand  years  !  " 

"  What  !  "  broke  out  Charley  with  a  comical 
expression,  "  are  you  computing  the  probable 
duration  of  the  earth  ?  or  some  other  planet  ?  or 
are  you  trying  to  locate  and  realize  the  mil 
lennium  ?  " 

'85 


1 86  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Call  it  the  last,"  I  answered  a  little  confused, 
"  and  you  will  come  near  enough  to  the  truth." 

We  were  now  in  sight  of  the  landing,  and,  point 
ing  to  something  nearly  white  in  close  proximity 
to  our  dinner-box,  Charley  asked,  "  What  is  that  ? 
— a  polar  bear  strayed  from  a  menagerie  and 
robbing  us  of  our  food?  If  it  is,  I'll  capture  him 
if  it  takes  a  thousand  ye'ars,"  quoting  my  words, 
and  imitating  my  voice  and  gesture.  And  off  he 
ran  with  the  speed  of  the  wind,  and  soon  had  by 
the  tail  an  animal  which  proved  to  be  a  mule, 
which  he  mounted,  as  it  was  getting  up,  declar 
ing  that  Long-ears  should  give  him  a  ride  as  a 
penalty  for  coming  into  our  kitchen  unbidden. 

Assuming  the  dignity  of  a  lecturer  on  his  white 
rostrum,  he  said,  "  Whether  the  donkey,  or  any 
of  his  near  relations,  is  the  crude  result  of 
Nature's  feeling  after  her  idea  of  a  horse  or  not, 
the  mule  is  certainly  peculiar.  I  put  emphasis  on 
peculiar!  Note  the  sanctimonions  physiognomy, 
the  deacon-like,  lawyer-like,  and  mother-in-law 
contour  of  the  brain  !  He  is  a  born  diplomat. 
You  never  know  what  his  intentions  are.  He 
suppresses  his  emotions,  and  carries  his  point  by 
concealment.  His  long  ears  indicate  that  he 
hears  everything,  though  you  would  not  believe 
it  by  the  look  of  his  eye,  which  says  nothing." 

After  going  on  in  this  style  of  harangue  for  a 
few  moments,  he  raised  his  hat,  and,  bowing  with 
lordly  dignity,  concluded  by  saying  : 

"  And  now,  friend  Elbert,  I  must  commence 
my  evening's  ride.  Grieve  not  at  my  absence, 


A   GHOSTLY  RIDE.  187 


for  I  shall  soon  return  with  increased  knowledge 
of  the  country  to  enhance  our  happiness  in  squat 
ter  sovereignty,  as  we  gather  round  the  evening 
meal."  Whereupon  he  began  bowing  and  tap 
ping  the  mule  in  a  laugh-provoking  way.  The 
taps  became  blows,  and  still  the  mule  did  not 
stir.  He  now  put  on  an  irresistibly  droll  ex 
pression,  which  doubled  me  up  in  continued  out 
bursts  of  laughter. 

Finally  controlling  myself,  I  raised  my  hat  in 
mock  dignity,  and  said  apologetically,  "  I  hope 
your  lordship  will  not  think  me  rude.  I  was  not 
laughing  at  your  departure,  but  rather  at  the  pros 
pect  of  not  being  separated  from  your  valuable 
company,  even  by  a  short  exploring  expedition." 

At  this,  with  an  indescribable  expression  of  dis 
tress,  he  raised  both  hands,  and  exclaimed,  with 
King  Richard,  "  A  horse  !  a  horse  !  My  kingdom 
for  a  horse  ! 

"  Since  you  are  so  earnest  to  depart,  perhaps  I 
can  assist  you,"  I  said,  cutting  a  stick,  and  present 
ing  it  to  him  with  uncovered  head  and  a  low 
bow. 

Up  to  this  time  the  mule  had  not  even  winked 
in  recognition  of  our  existence,  but  with  a  vigor 
ous  application  of  the  stick  there  began  a  slow 
rounding  up  of  the  back,  rising  higher  and  highc,' 
with  every  blow,  till  at  last  from  its  summi; 
Charley  cried  out,  "  This  is  not  a  mule  ;  this  is  ;i 
dromedary  !  " 

"  It  is  simply  a  mule  acting  in  his  diplomatic 
capacity/'  I  said.  "He  has  an  idea  in  his  head, 


1 88  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


depend  upon  it,  although  it  expresses  itself  only 
in  his  back  !  " 

"  Then  diplomacy  must  be  met  by  diplomacy," 
said  Charley,  applying  the  sharp  end  of  his  stick 
to  the  dromedary  hump  till  it  slowly  descended 
and  became  the  back  of  a  mule  again. 

The  whiteness  of  the  mule  and  its  rider  suggested 
the  idea  of  a  ship,  and,  tying  a  long  withe  to  the 
mule's  tail,  and  standing  off  at  a  safe  distance,  I 
vociferated  with  as  much  pride  of  service  as  possi 
ble,  "  My  lord  admiral,  the  pilot  is  at  the  helm, 
and  awaits  your  orders." 

"  Starboard  and  port  the  helm  in  quick  succes 
sion,"  came  back  the  command  from  Charley  in 
nautical  tone. 

I  obeyed  orders  by  jerking  the  tail  from  left  to 
right,  and  then  from  right  to  left,  and  Charley, 
seizing  a  long  ear  in  each  hand,  shouted  some 
nautical  commands  into  one,  as  through  a  trumpet, 
pushing  the  other  forward,  as  if  to  inflate  it  for  a 
jib-sail,  and  then,  drumming  with  all  his  might 
against  the  mule's  sides,  and  gesticulating  with 
monomaniacal  enthusiasm,  he  almost  screamed  : 

"  In  prophetic  vision  already  methinks 

"  She  starts  ;  she  moves;  she  seems  to  feel 
The  thrill  of  life  along  her  keel." 

This  was  too  much  for  the  mule's  equanimity. 
He  dropped  all  diplomacy,  and  revealed  his  mulish 
spirit  by  kicking  and  trying  to  throw  his  rider; 
and  failing  in  this,  he  soon  disappeared  with  him 
behind  a  clump  of  firs  on  a  dead  run,  Charley 


A   GHOSTLY  RIDE.  189 


waving  his  hand,  as  he  went  out  of  sight,  and 
shouting  back,  "  Au  rcvoir  !  " 

Though  weak  with  laughter,  I  managed  to  run 
to  the  point  of  dissolving  view,  and  saw  the  run 
aways,  with  unslackened  speed,  pressing  towards 
a  farmyard  not  far  away,  the  long  withe  bounding 
into  the  air  with  every  leap  of  the  mule,  and 
Charley's  white  robes  fluttering  in  the  wind  like  a 
scare-crow  eloped  from  a  corn-field.  When  they 
reached  the  fence,  the  mule  stopped  so  suddenly, 
Charley  had  to  travel  on  a  few  paces  beyond,  and 
lit  on  top  of  a  post,  I  trembled,  fearing  he  might 
be  hurt,  but  he  raised  his  hat  so  politely  to  some 
one  in  the  yard,  that  I  concluded,  since  the  fun 
had  not  been  knocked  out  of  him,  he  must  be 
unharmed. 

"  The  holy  Vargin  preserve  us,"  said  a  voice 
near  me,  and  an  Irish  woman,  emerged  from  the 
grass  where  she  had  evidently  fallen  in  a  faint  ; 
for  her  dish  of  berries  she  had  been  picking  was 
bottom  side  up,  and  she  was  trembling  with  fear. 

"  And  did  ye  sec  the  vision,  mccstcr  ?  "  she 
asked  in  great  trepidation. 

"  What  was  it?"  said  I. 

"  Sure  it  was  a  ghost,  sir,  flying  on  a  white 
baste,  and  I  could  not  tell  whether  from  the  clouds 
of  hiven,  or  up  from  the  pit,  it  came  so  sudden 
loike  ;  and  before  I  knew  it  my  sinses  left  me,  and 
the  vision  was  gone." 

"  What  you  saw,"  I  said,  "was  my  friend  riding 
a  white  mule." 

"  A  mule  !  was  it  ?  "  she  exclaimed  in  evident 


i  go 


SHJPS  BY  DAY. 


disgust.  "Ah  !  bad  luck  to  ye.  It  was  the  angel 
of  death  come  to  warn  us  of  the  eend  of  the 
world." 

Seeing  Charley  coming,  I  said,  "  Well,  perhaps 
the  ghost  will  be  here  to  speak  for  himself.  In 
the  meantime  let  me  help  you  pick  up  your 
berries." 

It  was  a  slow  process,  but  the  task  was 
finally  accomplished,  and  the  berries  all  replaced 
in  the  tin  dish  apparently  as  good  as  before. 

"Would  you  like  to  sell  these  berries?"  I 
asked. 

"  Indade  I  would,"  she  replied. 

Taking  a  paper  from  my  pocket,  I  emptied  her 
dish,  and  returned  it  with  a  quarter  in  it. 

"  You  are  very  ginerous,"  she  said  as  she  saw 
the  coin.  "  May  the  mither  of  God  bless  ye." 

"  Mother  of  God  !  "  broke  in  Charley,  who  had 
just  come  up  in  season  to  overhear  these  words. 
"  Has  God  a  mother?  " 

"  Ter  be  sure." 

u  I  hope  she  was  a  fine  woman." 

"  Indade,  she  was  that,"  answered  the  berry 
woman  eying  him  doubtfully. 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  God  comes  from  a  good 
family,"  said  Charley  with  a  queer  facial  expres 
sion  ;  "  but  why  not  ask  God  Himself  to  bless  my 
friend  here?  " 

"  It  is  all  the  same,  indade,  sir.  The  holy  mither 
has  more  influence  than  a  poor  woman  like  meself. 
Indade,  indade  she  has,  Ah  !  yes,  indade,  ter  be 
sure.  The  holy  saints  preserve  us  !  " 


A   GHOSTL  Y  RIDE. 


191 


With  these  words  she  went  off,  evidently  glad 
to  get  away  from  such  a  heretic  to  the  Romish 
faith. 

"  Why  is  it,"  asked  Charley,  as  we  started  for 
the  landing,  "  that  Roman  Catholics  worship  the 
Virgin  Mary  ?  " 

"  It  arose  originally  in  part,  I  presume,  from  a 
failure  to  see  mother-heart,  or  motherhood,  as 
well  as  fatherhood  in  God,  and  the  craving  for  a 

o 

divine  womanly  nature.  It  is  strange  they  cannot 
see  that  Jesus,  who  reveals  the  Father,  is  a 
complete  Being,  exhibiting  in  perfection  the 
highest  traits  of  both  man  and  woman  ;  for  where 
can  you  find  female  tenderness  and  sympathy  so 
beautifully  illustrated  as  in  the  life  of  Christ?" 

"  There  you  are  again  full  of  the  seeds  of 
thought  !  "  exclaimed  Charley.  "  I  must  think 
this  all  out  some  time,  but  not  now.  My  head 
aches  from  the  large  overdoses  you  have  given 
it  ;  but  supper  and  a  little  more  fun  will  bring 
me  all  right.  Food  and  fun,  like  the  Siamese 
twins,  should  not  be  separated.  When  one  of 
those  twins  died,  the  death  of  the  other 
followed  ;  and  it  is  just  as  true  that  when  fun  dies 
the  stomach  dies.  Fun  is  just  as  necessary  for 
good  digestion  as  fresh  air  is  for  the  lungs." 

"  Well,"  said  I,  as  we  reached  our  lunch-box 
and  opened  it,  "here  is  food.  Mix  it  with  grati 
tude,  and  as  much  judicious  fun  as  seemeth  to  thee 
good,  and  let  thy  heart  rejoice  in  the  Giver  to 
thce  of  so  much  super-abounding  health  and 
happy  good-nature  ;  and,  if  thou  hast  a  little  more 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


fun  than  thou  needest  for  thine  own  digestion, 
spill  a  little  over  for  thy  less  fortunate  comrade." 

"  Amen  !  "  responded  Charley  seriously  accept 
ing  my  words  as  sufficient  grace  before  meat,  and, 
taking  up  a  chicken-bone,  remarked,  "  I  suppose 
Christianity,  as  interpreted  by  you  and  the  Blent- 
woods,  requires  that  I  pass  you  the  breast  meat 
and  retain  the  wing  for  myself ;  but  as  there  is 
some  doubt  about  the  keeping,  I  think  we  better 
make  sure  of  the  best  first,  and  if  anything  spoils, 
let  it  be  the  wing." 

"  You  are  right,  Charley,  and,  furthermore,  I 
forego  all  parts  of  the  chicken  to-night,  since 
farinaceous  suppers,  unless  I  am  to  sit  up  late,  are 
best  for  me, — most  conducive  to  sleep.  So  eat 
breast  meat,  my  brother,  cat  all  the  breast  meat." 

'•  You  are  as  generous,  Elbert,  as  a  duck  might 
be  in  refusing  an  umbrella." 

'  Just  about,  Charley  ;  and  I  am  glad  you  have 
no  need  to  coddle  yourself,  or  restrain  your 
appetite.  You  are  a  perfect  rhythm  of  bone  and 
muscle  and  tissue  and  nerve,  and  when  food,  at 
any  time  of  day,  gets  into  your  stomach,  it  sets 
in  motion  the  whole  symphonic  machinery  from 
your  crown  to  your  toes,  till  digestion  is  com 
pleted  and  its  results  appropriated." 

"  My  digestion  is  good,  I  admit,  but  I  fear  it 
would  not  last  long,  if  I  moped."  Do  you  not 
regard  laughing  as  a. Christian  duty?" 

"  Yes,  Charley,  I  do ;  and  if  I  saw  nothing  to 
laugh  at,  I  would  laugh  occasionally  anyway, 
mechanically,  until  I  could  laugh  heartily.  It  is 


A   GHOSTL  Y  RIDE. 


a  historical  fact  long  ago  supported  by  Quack- 
cnbos  and  others,  that  one  can  put  himself  into 
almost  any  mood  by  putting  on  the  externals  of 
that  mood.  Actors  do  this.  To  feel  blue,  draw 
down  the  muscles  of  the  face,  and  put  on  a  woebe. 
gone  look.  On  the  other  hand,  smile,  look  bright 
and  cheerful,  and  you  will  soon  feel  so." 

"  Suppose  we  test  your  theory,"  said  Charley, 
as  he  took  the  last  mouthful,  "  and,  so,  send  my 
big  supper  on  its  beneficent  mission  rejoicing  ?  " 
Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  he  threw  back  his 
head,  and  exploded  with  a  loud,  "  Ha,  ha,  ha  !  " 
I  joined  in,  and  very  soon  we  were  both  laughing 
because  we  had  to,  and  as  heartily,  as  if  we  had 
started  with  something  to  excite  our  risibles. 

"  There  !  "  I  said,  as  soon  as  the  paroxysm  was 
over,  "  the  theory  is  proved,  and  we  must  repeat 
this  after  each  meal." 

"  Some  such  practice  as  that,"  said  Charley, 
"  would  brighten  up  many  a  dining-room,  and  be 
better  than  medicine  for  feeble  stomachs." 

Our  next  business  was  to  erect  our  tent,  and 
place  in  it  as  soft  a  bed  of  boughs  as  we  could 
make,  first  scorching  them  in  a  fire  made  for  the 
purpose.  During  this  process,  which  consumed 
considerable  time,  Charley  entertained  me  with 
the  following  description  of  the  finale  of  his 
ride  : 

"  The  mule  stopped  so  suddenly  at  the  farm 
yard  bars,  I  found  it  convenient  to  pass  on  a  few 
feet,  not  wishing  the  mule's  company  any  longer, 
and  so  slid  over  the  animal's  head,  and  alighted  on 


194 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


some  blankets,  hanging  over  a  post,  as  neatly  and 
easily  as  if  placed  there  by  a  fairy.  A  man  in  the 
yard  looked  up  half-scared  to  death,  as  if  he  ex 
pected  every  minute  would  be — the  next !  I 
raised  my  hat,  and  putting  on  all  the  urbanity  at 
my  command,  I  said,  '  Good  evening,  neighbor.' 
Finding  I  was  no  apparition,  but  real  flesh  and 
blood,  though  clothed  in  white  linen,  he  at  length 
broke  out,  '  Neighbor !  Who  in  the  devil  are 
you  anyway  ?  ' 

"  I  replied,  '  Friend,  you  make  a  slight  mistake ; 
I  am  not  in  the  devil.' 

" '  Well,'  he  essayed  again,  '  where  in  the  devil 
did  you  come  from  ?" 

"  '  You  still  mistake  me,'  I  said, '  I  did  not  come 
in  the  devil,  I  came  on  a  mule,  this  one,'  point 
ing  to  the  panting  beast  standing  at  the  bars 
quite  subdued  and  docile.  '  I  had  a  very  fine 
ride  ;  and  as  this  animal  is  probably  your  prop 
erty,  I  am  very  much  obliged  to  you,  sir,  and 
will  make  any  pecuniary  compensation  you 
desire.' 

" '  The  devil,  you  will,'  said  he,  his  muscles 
beginning  to  relax  and  twitch  about  the  mouth. 

"  '  Friend,'  said  I,  '  I  insist  that  the  devil  and  I 
have  no  business  relations  whatever.' 

"'Don't  eh?'  he  asked,  beginning  to  shake. 
'That's  good.  He,  he,  he!  No  business  with 
the  devil,  eh  ?  Guess  you  don't  do  business  round 
here,  then, — he,  he,  he!  Most  of  folks  round 
here  takes  him  in  partner,  and  the  devil  runs 
pretty  much  the  whole  concern.  But  ye  don't 


A   GHOSTLY  RIDE. 


'95 


say,  do  ye,  stranger,  that  ye  rode  that  devil — I 
mean  that  vicious  mule  without  bridle  or  saddle  ?' 

"  '  Certainly,'   I  answered. 

He  began  to  slap  his  knees  in  ecstasy.  '  That's 
too  good  for  anything.  He,  he,  lie  !  ho,  ho,  ho — 
oh  !  That's  worth  big  money  to  me,  stranger. 
Why,  that  mule  is  the  terror  of  the  neighbor 
hood,  and  I  couldn't  sell  it  for  a  song;  but  if  you 
have  rode  it  bareback  and  without  reins, 
Jehosephat !  that'll  bring  it  into  market,  don't 
ye  sec?  I'm  obliged  to  ye,  stranger,  though 
when  I  first  saw  ye,  I  thought  ye'd  come  from 
that  warm  country  where  they  have  to  wear 
summer  clothes  the  year  round  !  Let  me  git  ye 
a  glass  of  cider.' 

I  excused  myself,  and  came  away  ;  and  the  last  I 
heard  from  him  was  the  raucous  sound  of  '  He, 
he,  he  !  ho,  ho,  ho — oh  ! ' ' 

Having  finished  our  task,  I  began  to  read 
silently  from  my  New  Testament,  when,  to  my 
relief,  Charley  asked  that  I  read  aloud,  which  I 
did,  and  after  gratefully  commending  ourselves 
and  others  to  the  watchful  care  of  the  Supreme 
Ruler,  we  lay  down  on  our  fresh-made  bed,  and 
slept  soundly. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

A   BRISK   MORNING   SAIL 

A 17 HEN  we  awoke,  the  tops  of  the  trees,  lit  up 
by  the  rising  sun,  were  smiling  down  upon 
us  a  seeming  benediction  for  the  day.  The  rays 
of  light,  as  they  crept  towards  us,  played  hide  and 
seek  with  the  moving  foliage,  now  skulking 
behind  the  leaves,  and  now  darting  at  us  long 
shafts  of  bright  light,  till,  at  length,  the  shadows 
all  fled  away,  and  the  whole  landscape  seemed  to 
wake  up,  and  become  conscious  that  it  was  day. 

We  ate  our  breakfast  with  a  good  appetite,  folded 
our  tent,  put  all  our  luggage  into  our  boat,  and  in 
reluctance  to  leave  a  spot  now  become  a  part  of 
life's  pleasing  associations,  we  reclined  for  a  while 
on  our  primitive  bed  delectable  with  the  fragrance 
of  balsam  and  pine.  We  lay  so  quiet,  a  bird  came 
picking  crumbs  close  to  our  feet,  and  then  wiped 
its  bill,  and  preened  its  feathers  in  glad  satiety. 
A  squirrel  followed,  its  tail  actually  brushing 
Charley's  boot,  and,  after  getting  its  fill,  scam 
pered  away  with  many  antics.  At  a  little  dis 
tance  a  rabbit  was  seen  making  short  detours, 
approaching  in  zig-zag  lines,  and  taking  observa- 

196 


A  BRISK  MO  RIVING  SAIL. 


197 


tions  at  every  turn.  It  would  raise  its  head 
slowly  and  very  cautiously,  and  then  stand  on  its 
hind  legs  for  several  moments  without  a  motion, 
except  in  the  erect  ears,  which  seemed  almost  to 
quiver  in  the  eagerness  of  listening,  and  then, 
coming  a  little  nearer,  repeat  its  observations  and 
listening  attitudes. 

"  There  is  a  meat  dinner  for  us,"  whispered  Char 
ley  passing  me  a  pistol  he  had  brought  with  him 
for  game,  which  I  took,  and  slowly  covered  the 
breast  of  the  little  fellow,  as  it  was  again  exposed 
to  view,  but  did  not  fire.  I  was  so  interested  in 
the  creature's  movements,  especially  its  extreme 
precaution  against  danger,  proving  thereby  its 
love  of  life,  I  concluded  that  I  did  not  want  to 
eat  it,  and  silently  passed  the  pistol  back  to  Char 
ley,  who  as  silently  raised  it  in  position  ;  and  when 
the  cunning  little  creature  exposed  its  head  again, 
I  feared  to  see  it  drop,  but  Charley  laid  down  his 
pistol,  saying,  "  I  think  I'll  take  fish  for  dinner  !  " 
We  both  laughed,  and,  the  spell  being  broken, 
there  was  no  further  advance  in  sociability  on 
the  part  of  our  dumb  companions. 

Taking  long  sniffs  of  the  balsamic  air,  I  said,  as 
we  rose  up,  "  We  may  not  have  so  soft  and  health 
ful  a  bed  to-night,  unless  we  take  it  along  with 
us." 

"  We'll  trust  in  Providence,  Elbert." 

"All!  Charley,  Providence  does  not  encourage 
any  slackening  in  the  exercise  of  forethought. 
There  is  a  great  deal  of  educating  power  in  being 
called  upon,  as  we  are  in  this  world,  to  look  fore 


198  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


and  aft.  It  would  be  an  unkind  Providence  to 
relieve  us  from  the  necessity  of  thinking." 

"  Did  not  Jesus  say,  'Take  no  thought  for  to 
morrow  '  ?  " 

"  No,  that  is  the  language  of  King  James' 
translation  of  what  he  said.  His  words  in  Greek, 
in  which  they  were  recorded,  contain  the  idea  of 
anxiety,  and  a  better  rendering  is,  '  Be  not  anxious 
for  the  morrow,  etc.' >: 

"  When,  then,  may  one  expect  Providential 
help?" 

"When  he  has  exhausted  his  utmost  resources, 
and  can  do  nothing  more,  he  can  then  look  up 
with  implicit  confidence  for  Divine  aid." 

"  Well,  I  likes  de  horn  you  blow,  brudder,  as 
Tom  said  to  Dr.  Blentwood,  when  he  first  heard 
him  preach,  and  if  you  say  so,  I'll  tote  the  whole 
bed  aboard  in  a  jiffy." 

"  Remember,  Charley,  I  have  no  anxiety  in  the 
matter;  indeed,  I  am  somewhat  in  the  condition 
of  the  hypothetical  donkey,  which  the  medieval 
metaphysicians  said,  if  placed  exactly  half  way 
between  two  bundles  of  hay,  would  not,  between 
the  two  equal  motives,  go  to  either  bundle,  but 
remain  in  his  tracks  till  starvation  relieved  him  of 
all  perplexity." 

"  Ah  !  "  Charley  exclaimed,  the  fun  beginning 
to  bubble  up  through  his  eyes,  "  those  much- 
abused  and  nobly  employed  hair-splitters  were 
right.  Behold  yesterday's  mule  !  Was  it  not 
held  fast  in  its  tracks  by  two  opposing  motives? 
Where  would  have  been  my  ride,  had  we  not 


A  BRISK  A7OA'A'/ATG  SAIL. 


199 


added  a  preponderance  of  motive  in  my  favor  ? 
The  very  moment  he  had  a  little  more  motive  for 
yielding  to  our  will  than  to  have  his  own,  he 
scooted,  and  streaked  it  for  home,  bearing  me 
with  him,  flying  over  the  fields  in  gleesome,  blood- 
dancing  exhilaration." 

Here  he  branched  off  into  an  culogium  on 
metaphysics,  waxing  more  and  more  grandilo 
quent,  until,  pretending  to  be  overcome  by  his  elo 
quence,  I  threw  up  my  arms,  falling  back  on  the 
boughs,  staring  at  him  with  mouth  wide  open, 
when  he  began  to  congratulate  himself  on  this 
demonstration  of  his  power  to  sway  an  audience. 
Halting,  his  countenance  at  the  same  time  falling 
into  the  most  lugubrious  expression,  he  con 
tinued  : 

"  But  alas  !  my  joy  is  touched  with  sadness  as 
I  reflect,  that  I  must  leave  my  friend  here  as  a 
footstool  for  the  ever-watchful  partridge  to  drum 
on,  and  the  cunning  squirrel  to  peal  his  beechnuts 
on,  the  crow  to  peck  at,  and,  indeed,  for  the  whole 
animal  creation  to  prey  upon !  Were  he  the 
metaphysicians'  donkey,  I  would  not  mind  ;  for  I 
am  not  much  on  donkeys  ;  but  it  overcomes  me 
to  lose  my  friend,  whose  majestic  dome  of  thought, 
whose  beetling  brow,  and  whose  eagle  eye  plainly 
indicate  how  he  could  startle  the  world  with  the 
brilliant  movement  of  his  mental  artillery,  light 
ing  up  the  very  heavens  with  the  flash  of  his 
lightning-like  thought,  and  shaking  the  earth  it 
self  with  the  ponderosity  of  his  intellectual  can 
nonading'." 


2 oo  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Pausing  to  take  breath,  and  looking  at  me 
pathetically,  he  suddenly  changed  aspect,  and, 
clapping  his  hands,  ejaculated,  "A  salvation 
thought  occurs  to  me.  I  am  a  third  power,  and 
may  break  up  this  equilibrium  of  forces,"  and,  so 
saying,  he  pulled  the  boughs  from  under  me,  and 
carried  them  off  to  the  boat,  placing  them  in  the 
bow  so  carefully  as  to  make  an  attractive  couch  to 
recline  on.  He  came  back  with  sparkling  eyes, 
prophetic  of  a  frolic,  and,  putting  himself  into 
fantastic  shapes,  exclaimed : 

"You  still  linger,  O  great  philosopher!  I  per 
ceive  by  the  molecular  motions  in  your  orbs  of 
light  that  you  are  now  up  to  mischief !  " 

"  No,  not  mischief,  but  fowchief,"  I  replied,  and, 
holding  up  one  remaining  bough,  added,  "  Here 
is  the  only  link  left  in  the  motive  force  which 
would  chain  me  to  this  spot." 

He  tried  to  get  it,  and,  failing,  picked  me  up, 
and  tugged  me  to  the  bed  of  boughs  in  the 
boat  amid  much  hilarious  mirth,  which  is 
the  best  antidote  to  the  blues,  hypochondria, 
dyspepsia,  and  kindred  diseases,  as  well  as 
the  best  restorative  yet  discovered  for  jaded 
nerves. 

A  brisk  wind  was  blowing  directly  astern,  and 
we  hoisted  sail  merely  for  the  sensation  of  riding 
fast,  and  not  that  we  cared  to  get  along  ;  for  we 
had  no  object  in  view  except  to  obtain  the  most 
change  and  recreation  possible,  and  were  ready  to 
abandon  the  river  any  moment  it  became  monot 
onous. 


A  BRISK  MORNING  SAIL. 


"  What  is  the  best  method  of  spending  a  vaca 
tion  ?  "  Charley  asked,  as  we  began  to  get  under 
way. 

"  With  Charley  Lightheart,"  I  answered  emphat 
ically. 

"  I  call  for  a  philosophical  answer,  and  put  the 
emphasis  on  victJiod"  he  insisted. 

"  My  answer  was  philosophical  so  far  as  it 
went,"  I  replied,  "  but  to  go  a  step  farther,  it 
should  be  spent  as  free  as  the  air,  which  has 
periods  of  great  energy  and  periods  of  absolute 
quiet.  Those  of  soft  muscles,  especially,  should 
imitate  the  air  at  rest,  and  become  magnificent 
loafers  like  me,  for  example,  stretched  out  at  full 
length  on  this  sweet-smelling  couch,  making  no 
more  exertion  than  what  is  necessary  to  breathe, 
and  feeling  little  or  no  more  weight  of  care  than 
an  infant.  And  now,  if  you  please,  we  will  hear 
your  opinion." 

"  My  opinion,"  said  he,  bending  backward  and 
running  his  thumbs,  with  fingers  spread  wide 
apart,  up  and  down  the  armholes  of  his  vest  in  a 
ludicrously  pompous  manner,  "  my  opinion  is  that 
a  man  should  spend  his  vacation  as  he  chooses, 
provided  he  chooses  to  spend  it  right." 

"  A  very  safe  remark,  Charley." 

"  Yes,  dear  Elbert,  safety  is  my  strong  point. 
There  is  nothing  like  being  safe.  When  my 
father  caught  me  tying  a  tin  pail  to  a  young  cow's 
tail,  I  illustrated  my  genius  for  safety  by  saying, 
'  Father,  I  am  some  afraid  this  will  frighten  the 
heifer,  and  1  guess  I  won't  do  it.'  Safety,  you 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


see,  was  my  controlling  motive  even  at  that  early 
period." 

"  Was  it  safety  for  the  heifer,  or  for  you  ?  "  I 
interjected. 

He  looked  at  me  in  well-feigned  bewilderment. 
"  How  could  I  be  as  well  versed  in  the  safety  of 
cows  as  in  my  own  ?  Self-preservation  is  the  first 
law  of  nature.  I  knew  that  my  pantaloons  were 
thin,  and  my  flesh  tender,  and  that  I  could  not 
bear  pain  very  well,  and  to  fortify  my  position 
with  safe  breastworks  was  a  wise  discretion, 
which,  we  arc  told,  is  the  better  part  of  valor.  I 
was  going  to  give  you  other  strategic  movements 
for  safety  in  my  early  life,  but  I  fear  you  do  not 
appreciate  this  beautiful  trait  in  my  character  !  " 

"  Oh,  yes  I  do,"  I  replied.  "  To  keep  on  the 
safe  side  of  the  road  always,  and  not  run  the  risk 
of  trying  how  near  you  can  come  to  the  precipice 
and  not  topple  over  ;  to  keep  on  the  safe  side  of 
temperance  by  never  running  the  risk  of  taking 
the  first  glass  of  intoxicating  liquor  ;  to  keep  on  the 
safe  side  of  virtue  by  never  trying  to  see  how  far 
you  can  come  to  doing  wrong,  and  not  doing  it  ;  to 
keep  on  the  safe  side  of  honesty  by  never  borrow 
ing  so  much  as  a  penny  from  a  trust  fund,  or 
employer  unconsulted  ;  to  keep  on  the  safe  side 
of  truth  by  never  entertaining  as  a  guest  the 
slightest  approach  to  falsehood  ; — these  and  other 
pursuits  of  safety  cannot  be  too  highly  com 
mended." 

"  Amen  !  in  my  end  of  the  boat,"  said  Charley 
in  approval ;  "  but  don't  you  think  a  more 


A  BRISK  MORNING  SAIL.  203 


worldly  pursuit  of  safety  desirable,  if  secured  by 
pure  strategy  ?  Mark,  I  say  pure  strategy  with 
no  moral  obliquity." 

"  I  highly  commend  the  strategy  by  which  you 
escaped  a  whipping." 

"  That  is  all  I  can  ask  of  a  man,  who  is  such 
a  stickler  for  small  points  of  equity.  I  cannot 
expect  you  to  approve  of  my  tying  the  pail  to  the 
cow's  tail ;  you  would  sympathize  with  the  cow, 
and  not  with  my  boyish  love  of  fun  !  " 

"  I  should  keenly  sympathize  with  your  fun- 
loving  nature,  Charley,  but  my  sense  of  justice 
and  fair  play  would  not  allow  me  to  enjoy  fun 
created  for  one  party  by  the  suffering  of  another, 
except,  it  may  be,  in  the  line  of  duty.  I  am  a 
great  lover  of  innocent  sport  in  boy  or  man,  and 
hope  I  shall  always  be." 

"  Was  I  right  in  attaching  the  pail  ?  "  Charley 
asked,  jumping  up,  and  raising  his  arm  with  a 
most  energetic  gesture.  "  That  is  what  I  want 
to  know,  uncovered  of  rhetoric,  and  in  plain 
English." 

"  Not  if  it  would  have  frightened  and  injured 
the  cow,"  I  made  answer,  as  soon  as  my  laughter 
would  permit. 

"  Now  I  have  got  you  ! "  said  he,  still  more 
eloquent  of  gesture,  and  looking  clown  on  me 
with  a  droll  mixture  of  haughty  pride  and  benev 
olence.  He  paused  a  moment  to  enjoy  his 
advantage,  and  to  give  weight  to  his  words,  and 
then,  with  both  arms  sawing  the  air,  he  asked, 
almost  in  a  scream,  "  Was  it  right  to  attach  a 


204  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


withe  to  a  mule's  tail,  and  treat  it  as  if  it  were 
the  helm  of  a  senseless  ship  ?  Tell  me  that !  " 

"  That  is  a  very  different  matter,"  I  answered, 
as  soon  as  I  could  speak,  holding  my  sides.  "  The 
cow  is  useful  only  in  giving  milk,  and,  to  that  end, 
needs  to  be  kept  very  quiet  ;  but  the  mule  is  only 
useful  in  going,  and  he  would  not  go,  from  pure 
stubbornness  ;  and  so  we  took  the  least  painful, 
and,  at  the  same  time,  the  most  enjoyable,  method 
of  conquering  his  rebellious  spirit,  and  making 
him  of  some  worth  in  the  world.  This  is  a  case, 
Charley,  where  duty  and  fun  kissed  each  other." 

He  threw  down  his  hat,  and  sat  down,  say 
ing,  "  It  is  no  use  to  exhaust  myself  in  eloquence  ; 
you  will  not  see  through  even  an  old  boy's  eyes. 
The  most  sublime  oratory,  I  perceive,  has  its 
limit!  " 

"  That  reminds  me  to  ask,  '  What  profession,  or 
occupation,  do  you  intend  to  follow  ?  '  ' 

"  I  don't  know,"  he  answered,  a  little  more 
seriously.  "  I  am  somewhat  in  the  condition  of 
your  hypothetical  donkey  ;  several  callings  in  life 
draw  me  about  equally,  and  I  cannot  decide.  I 
hope  I  shall  learn  what  I  am  fitted  for  in  season 
to  be  prepared  for  it." 

"  Glad  the  question  of  self-ease  does  not  come 
in  to  bother  you." 

"  Perhaps  it  does  though.  Should  not  one 
choose  that  profession  which  he  would  enjoy  the 
best?" 

"  He  will  be  most  likely  to  succeed,  if  in  love 
with  his  work  " 


A  BRISK  MORNING  SAIL.  205 


"  Is  not  happiness  a  legitimate  object  of  pursuit 
in  life  ?  " 

"  Not  according  to  the  higher  law." 

"  What !  isn't  it  right  to  be  happy?" 

"  Certainly,  and  desirable,  too,  though  it  is 
better  to  be  happy  in  being  right." 

"  Why  not  seek  happiness  ?  " 

"  Because  it  is  an  unworthy  object,  as  an  end 
in  itself,  and  to  live  for  it  is  the  surest  way  not  to 
reach  it,  at  least  in  highest  measure." 

"  Make  that  clear  to  me,  Elbe-it,  and  I'll  give 
you  half  a  dollar." 

"  Well,  to  begin  at  the  first  parallel,  is  there 
anything  noble  in  self-seeking  ?  " 

"  Probably  not  ;  but  is  there  anything  noble  in 
seeking  misery  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not.  To  seek  happiness  or  misery, 
as  an  end,  is  a  kind  of  selfishness,  and  has  no 
merit  in  it.  To  be  worthily  heroic  we  must  go 
out  of  self,  and  the  farther  we  leave  self  behind 
the  grander  we  arc.  As  Emerson  says  : 

'  The  hero  is  not  fed  on  sweets, 
Daily  his  own  heart  he  eats. ' 

"  Self  or  service  is  the  question  before  every  man, 
and  on  his  choice  pivots  both  character  and  des 
tiny  ;  yes,  and  the  truest  happiness  also." 

"  But  can  I  not  serve  others  and  my  own  hap 
piness  too  ?  ' 

"  Real  service  may  lead  directly  in  the  line  of 
self-sacrifice  and  personal  discomfort,  not  to  say 
hardship  and  suffering.  There  can  be  no  noble 


2  06  SJfJFS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


daring  for  truth  and  the  right,  where  personal 
happiness  must  be  consulted  at  every  step. 
Whoever  in  the  struggle  of  existence  thinks 
first  of  his  own  happiness  is  out  of  place  in 
life  ;  for  there  is  no  true  work  for  him  to  do. 
On  the  other  hand,  he  who  aims  at  noble  serv 
ice  may  find  joy  even  in  self-sacrifice." 

"  But,  Elbert,  I  do  not  see  why  I  cannot  find 
happiness  by  seeking  it." 

"  Well,  Charley,  it  is  simply  a  matter  of  fact 
that  happiness  is  a  coy  maiden  that  will  not  be 
caught  that  way.  To  win  substantial  happiness 
you  must  forget  self  in  your  unselfish  devotion  to 
others'  welfare,  or  to  some  good  and  worthy  cause ; 
and  then,  indeed,  it  may  come  in  all  its  richness, 
a  thousand-fold  more  desirable  than  that  enjoyed 
by  the  mere  pleasure-seeker.  The  highest  happi 
ness  comes  to  us  obliquely  and  incidentally,  and 
not  when  sought  directly." 

"  But,  Elbert,  doesn't  a  man  wholly  seek  his 
own  happiness  when  he  marries?  " 

"  He  is  liable  not  to  find  it  if  he  does.  Many 
a  couple  find  the  bonds  of  wedlock  grievous, 
because  in  marrying  each  expected  to  be  made 
happy  by  the  other.  On  the  contrary,  if  a  man 
marries  with  the  hope  of  giving  happiness  to  the 
woman  he  loves  by  his  unselfish  devotion,  he  is 
not  only  likely  to  succeed,  but  to  receive  in  addi 
tion  the  happiness  which  comes  unsought ;  and 
the  woman  who  marries  to  be  happy  rather  than 
to  dispense  happiness,  as  wife  and  mistress  of  a 
home,  by  working  for  the  good  of  others,  will,  in 


A  BRISK  MORNING  SAIL.  207 

all  probability,  fail,  because  her  love  is  selfish  and 
downward,  craving  everything,  and  not  genuine 
love,  which  prefers  to  give  everything." 

A  long-drawn  sigh  came  from  Charley,  who 
presently  said,  "You  have  pretty  high  ideals, 
Elbert.  I  fear  you  breathe  fairer  air  than  I  do, 
and  feed  on  invisible  substances,  and  that  in 
cipient  wings  are  already  emerging  from  your 
shoulder-blades." 

"  Oh  !  no,  Charley,  I  am  wholly  mundane  in 
body,  and  too  much  so  in  mind.  I  wish  I  had 
more  wings  within." 

"  Don't  go  too  fast,  Elbert,  and  leave  me  so  far 
behind  as  to  take  away  my  courage,  for  I  am 
really  striving  to  come  up  to  you,  and  have  a 
great  deal  to  think  over  and  incorporate  into  my 
moral  corporosity." 

"  In  some  respects,  at  least,  you  leave  me 
behind,  Charley." 

"  In  what,  pray  ?  " 

"  In  a  certain  natural  gift  you  have,  and  the 
disposition  to  use  it,  of  making  people  forget 
themselves.  It  is  a  grand  power,  Charley,  one 
which  will  make  you  a  welcome  guest  every 
where,  and  a  needed  presence  in  the  sick-room. 
To  you  and  Ethel  I  owe  a  large  share  of  my 
speedy  recovery  and  continued  improvement. 
You  both  have  the  same  power  in  effect,  though 
dissimilar  in  operation.  Yours  is  more  like  nature 
in  her  varied,  frolicsome  moods;  hers  like  the 
stead}',  gentle  rays  of  the  sun,  scattering  the 
dews  of  unwelcome  thoughts  and  drawing  all 


2  o8  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


the  richer  life  to  the  surface.  What  E.  R. 
Champlin  said  of  another  might  be  expressly 
said  of  Ethel,  and  the  last  two  lines  apply  to 
you  as  well ;  and  how  much  brighter  the  world 
would  be  were  there  more  Ethel  Blentwoods 
and  Charley  Lighthearts  in  it : 


;  She  took  her  lesson  from  the  sun — 

That  gave  her  wealth  ere  she  beheld  it — 
And  gave  a  smile  to  every  one, 

And,  if  she  saw  a  cloud,  dispelled  it.' " 


During  all  this  conversation  we  were  not  un 
mindful  of  the  panoramic  views  along  shore, 
which,  however,  we  enjoyed  mostly  in  silence, 
only  occasionally  interjecting  a  remark  paren 
thetically  to  call  attention  to  some  particular  fea 
ture.  The  wind  was  now  blowing  with  increasing- 

o  o 

force,  and  our  little  craft  sped  on  at  a  rapid  rate, 
throwing  up  an  occasional  spray,  which  we  had 
to  dodge  or  get  wet.  This  furnished  us  with 
considerable  pastime. 

"  There  !  "  Charley  would  remark  as  he  failed 
to  escape  a  spirt  of  water,  "  my  starboard  eye  is 
drowned  ;  "  and,  perhaps,  before  he  had  that  wiped 
dry,  he  would  cry  out,  "  My  port  ear  has  shipped 
a  cargo  of  liquid  !  "  and  so  on,  using  sailor  terms 
only  to  describe  his  condition. 

At  length,  the  fun  beginning  to  wane,  I  asked, 
"Isn't  this  getting  a  little  monotonous,  Char 
ley?" 

"  Yes,"  he   replied,    "  I    think    I    don't    like    a 


A  BRISK  MORNING  SAIL. 


209 


douche-bath    in    spots    any    more.      Suppose    we 
drop  sail  ?  " 

"  That  will  suit  me  exactly,"  I  said,  but  had 
scarcely  finished  before  the  wind  lulled,  and  then 
died  quickly  away. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

DINNER   WITH   DELIGHTFUL   STRANGERS. 


T^HE  ruffled  face  of  the  river  smoothed  down 
all  its  wrinkles,  and  looked  as  innocent  as  if 
it  had  never  known  anything  but  eternal  calm. 
The  now  almost  vertical  sun  poured  out  his  hot 
rays  upon  us,  until  we  were  glad  to  dip  our  hands 
in  the  water  to  cool  our  pulses.  Not  a  tree  moved, 
and  the  river's  surface,  like  a  flawless  mirror,  re 
flected  everything  in  matchless  perfection.  The 
sky  beneath  was  an  exact  counterpart  of  that 
above  us,  and  we  seemed  in  the  centre  of  a  hol 
low  sphere,  with  no  visible  support  to  hold  us  up. 
Occasionally,  it  is  true,  this  liquid  reflector  would 
be  slightly  disturbed  by  a  fish  lazily  swimming  to 
the  surface  for  a  fly,  and  then  as  lazily  sinking 
down  again,  as  if  the  morsel  did  not  pay  for  the 
exertion. 

No  one  could  feel  energetic  in  such  an  atmos 
phere  ;  and  if  we  had  any  thoughts  we  kept  them 
to  ourselves.  It  was  a  time  for  day-dreams,  and 
we  gave  ourselves  up  to  pleasant  revery. 

At  length  I  asked  Charley  if  he  was  in  the 
body  ;  and,  rubbing  his  forehead,  he  answered 


DINNER    WITH  DELIGHTFUL  STRANGERS.     21 1 


slowly,  "  I  was  out  somewhere,  but  am  all  here 
now.  Any  news  ?" 

Looking  at  my  watch,  I  answered,  "  It  is  one 
o'clock  !  " 

"  Factorum  !  "  he  exclaimed  in  surprise.  "  I 
thought  I  was  hungry,  and  now  I  know  it. 
Where  shall  we  dine — on  shore  ?  or  on  ship 
board  ?  " 

"There,"  said  I,  pointing  to  a  tree  on  the  right 
bank  with  a  grassy  slope,  "  is  an  attractive  spot ; 
let  us  go  there  for  a  change,  and  dine  more  like 
monarchs  of  all  we  survey." 

We  had  not  reached  the  shore  before  a  gay 
party,  about  ten  in  number,  appeared  under  that 
very  tree  with  lunch-baskets,  and  saluted  us  with 
the  waving  of  handkerchiefs.  We  returned  the 
salute,  and,  having  landed  and  secured  our  boat, 
we  marched  boldly  up  to  our  proposed  dining- 
place,  lunch-box  in  hand.  We  took  off  our  hats, 
and  Charley,  being  a  little  in  advance,  thus  ad 
dressed  them  : — 

"  Ladies  and  gentlemen,  we  seem  to  demon 
strate  the  truth  of  the  saying,  that  great  minds 
agree,  in  our  selection  of  this  pretty  spot  as  a  de 
sirable  place  to  dine  ;  and  the  fact,  that  we  choose 
it  is  a  proof  that  we  arc  in  love  with  delightful 
things,  and,  therefore,  must  be  in  love  with  each 
other,  as  kindred  spirits ;  though  this  latter  fact 
may  not  yet  have  come  up  into  consciousness,  be 
cause  we  imagine  we  have  not  had  that  experi 
ence  which  small  minds  call  getting  acquainted. 
What  does  it  signify  that  we  may  not  have  met 


212  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


before  outwardly,  when  inwardly  we  touch  one 
another  in  all  those  superior  qualities,  which  make 
acquaintance  worth  having  and  friendship  abid 
ing  ?  Great  minds,  like  ours,  know  each  other  in 
tuitively,  and  at  once,  without  the  preliminary 
necessity  of  being  put  into  quarantine  for  fear 
some  latent  poison  may  be  developed.  It  is  as 
plain  as  the  sunshine  that  we  are  all  very  con 
genial,  and  very  delightful  people,  and,  therefore, 
should  consider  ourselves  as  the  oldest  and  best 
of  friends. 

"  Besides,  we  have  met  by  providential  appoint 
ment,  which  is  another  argument  that  we  know 
each  other,  and  should  feel  thoroughly  at  home. 
Ladies  and  gentlemen,  my  name  is  Charley,  and 
this  is  my  excellent  friend,  Elbert,  in  search  of 
recreation  and  health.  We  both  felt  a  double 
yearning  for  this  attractive  place,  and  now  we 
know  why.  It  was  because  you,  our  old,  valued, 
and  long-separated  friends,  were  here  to  greet  us. 
I  congratulate  you  and  ourselves  on  this  happy 
meeting.  We  are  dying  to  take  all  of  you  by  the 
hand,  as,  of  course,  you  are  dying  to  take  us  by 
the  hand,  and,  therefore,  I  will  waste  no  more 
time  in  words." 

This  unique  speech  was  greeted  during  its 
delivery,  and  at  its  close,  with  abundant  smiles, 
laughter,  and  clapping  of  hands.  There  was  a 
slight  pause,  when  one  of  their  number  stepped 
forward  in  reply  : 

"  Gentlemen,  Charley  and  Elbert,  your  admi 
rable  speech  finds  a  responsive  echo  in  all  our 


DINNER    WITH  DELIGHTFUL  STRANGERS.     213 

hearts.  Your  argument  is  most  convincing  that 
we  are  old  and  true  friends.  We  will  be  your 
brothers  and  sisters  and  cousins  and  aunts  (point 
ing  to  a  young  lady,  which,  having  some  special 
application,  produced  a  laugh).  It  gives  us  un 
speakable  pleasure  to  meet  you  after  so  long  a 
separation.  My  name  is  John." 

"  How  do  you  do,  John  ?  "  said  Charley,  and 
they  both  shook  hands  cordially.  Then  John  and 
I  shook  hands  as  old  friends.  After  that  each 
one  was  introduced  by  his  or  her  Christian  name, 
and  the  handshaking,  from  first  to  last,  was  more 
or  less  demonstrative  according  to  disposition,  and 
the  ability  of  each  to  meet  the  demands  of  the 
occasion. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  laughter  during  the 
process,  and  an  evident  desire  on  the  part  of  each 
to  throw  off  all  needless  reserve,  and  we  at  once 
felt  at  home  with  them.  Charley's  spirit  was  so 
thoroughly  caught  that  there  was  no  place  for  an 
apology. 

The  ladies  spread  tablecloths,  and  covered  them 
with  the  contents  of  their  baskets,  and  we  added 
those  of  our  box,  which,  in  the  line  of  frosted 
cakes,  tarts,  turnovers,  and  meat  pies,  made  a  good 
showing.  There  was  an  abundance  of  everything, 
and  we  all  ate  as  heartily,  and  with  as  much  free 
dom  from  anything  like  stiffness,  as  if  we  had 
always  known  each  other.  The  ladies  were  pro 
fuse  in  their  compliments  of  our  cake,  and  we  as 
truthfully,  as  well  as  gallantly,  praised  the  choice 
things  they  passed  to  us. 


2 1  4  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  We  are  exceedingly  glad  you  came,"  said  an 
intelligent,  and  pretty-voiced  lady  to  me,  after 
dinner,  as  we  stood  a  little  apart  from  the  rest. 
"  I  assure  you  we  have  had  a  much  better  time 
than  we  otherwise  could  have  had.  You  and  your 
friend  have  given  zest  to  the  occasion.  It  does 
not  seem  possible  we  were  strangers  only  two 
hours  ago." 

"  I  suppose  we  owe  our  rapid  acquaintance  in 
part,"  I  replied,  "  to  the  skilful  speech  and  capti 
vating  manner  of  my  friend  Charley,  but  more,  I 
think,  to  the  delightful  congeniality  and  intelli 
gent  good  sense  of  your  party." 

"  That  was,  indeed,  a  phenomenal  speech,  and 
so  remarkably  winning  in  its  delivery  that  it  broke 
down  all  barriers,  and  we  were  ready  to  capitulate 
even  before  he  got  half  through.  He  must  be 
a  delightful  companion.  There  is  much  truth  in 
what  he  said  about  kindred  spirits." 

"  Undoubtedly  such  need  only  the  slightest 
contact  to  awaken  knowledge  and  friendship.  In 
deed,  kindred  minds  are  the  only  ones,  who  ever 
really  know  each  other.  Between  opaque  and 
unrelated  minds  there  will  always  be  more  or  less 
ignorance  of  each  other,  and  consequent  misun- 
ders  ndings,  though  they  may  live  under  the 
same  roof  forever." 

"  How  far  do  you  think  all  trouble  between 
friends  may  be  referable  to  want  of  knowledge  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  difficult  to  say,  owing  to  different 
moral  states  and  dispositions ;  but  this  much  I 
think  is  true,  that  two  persons  cannot  know 


DINNER   WITH  DELIGHTFUL  STRANGERS.     215 


each  other  truly,  until  all  misunderstandings 
cease." 

"  Is  such  knowledge  possible  in  this  world?  " 

'  It  certainly  cannot  exist  without  love  as  an 
interpreter.  Where  we  cannot  love,  we  cannot 
see  and  cannot  know.  Even  the  beauties  of 
nature  and  art  must  be  loved  before  they  can  be 
really  seen  and  felt.  To  illustrate  more  fully  what 
I  mean,  take  that  quality  of  self-denial,  or  self- 
sacrifice,  which  characterizes  a  true  Christian  ;  can 
a  selfish  person  see  it,  understand  it,  and  appre 
ciate  it  at  its  full  value?  " 

"  Only  so  far  as  it  pleased  and  benefited  him 
self." 

"  Precisely,  and  even  then  he  would  take  it 
chiefly  as  his  due,  and  that  others,  who  failed  to 
do  as  much,  defrauded  him  to  that  extent.  Again, 
a  man  who  stands  up  for  the  right  against  his  own 
interest,  and,  incidentally  perhaps,  that  of  some 
others,  will  necessarily  be  misunderstood  by  all 
who  lack  his  true  sympathy,  moral  courage  and 
sound  integrity." 

"  I  could  never  have  interpreted  my  own  senti 
ments  so  admirably  as  you  have  done,  Mr.  Elbert," 
she  said,  smiling  at  the  handle  she  attached  to  my 
Christian  name.  "  You  make  me  feel  more  keenly 
than  ever  the  hungerings  and  cravings  I  have  long 
felt  for  intellectual  associations.  I  hope  you  will 
excuse  the  frankness  which  leads  me  to  express  a 
simple  matter  of  fact." 

"  Oh,  certainly  !  "  I  said,  a  little  embarassed, 
"  I  will  be  equally  frank,  and  say  that  I  greatl}) 


2 1 6  SHIPS  B  V  DA  Y. 


enjoy  meeting  a  lady  of  your  cast  of  mind,  who 
can  talk  upon  subjects  other  than  gossip  and  the 
latest  style  of  bonnet,  and  can  stimulate  thought 
in  others,  as  well  as  think  herself.  There  are  so 
many  who  never  acquire,  and  never  strive  to 
acquire,  any  taste  for  profound  study,  and  who 
never  inform  themselves  on  any  of  the  great  ques 
tions  of  the  day,  or,  and  more  especially,  on  any 
of  the  deeper  problems  of  human  life,  that  it  is  a 
treat  to  find  delightful  exceptions." 

She  thanked  me,  and  said,  "  I  have  books  at  my 
command,  and  an  intelligent  brother,  who,  how 
ever,  is  away  a  large  part  of  the  time,  and  intel 
ligent  friends,  of  course  ;  but  what  I  most  need 
is  to  have  some  one,  or  ones,  with  whom  to  talk 
up  more  frequently  the  suggestions,  which  come 
to  me  from  reading  and  experience." 

"  That  is  certainly  helpful  and  satisfactory  to 
us  all." 

"  Yes,  and  what  is  peculiar  is  the  fact,  in  my 
case,  at  least,  that  it  is  only  the  very  few  who  can 
tell  us  just  what  we  want  to  know,"  and  then  with 
a  little  blush,  she  added,  "  I  should  be  pleased  to 
exchange  full  names  and  addresses,  if  agreeable 
to  you,  with  the  hope  that  we  may  meet  again." 

"  With  pleasure,"  I  responded,  finding  a  blank 
card  in  my  diary,  on  which  I  wrote,  and  handed 
her. 

"  Elbert  Bloomfield  !  "  she  read  aloud  in  sur 
prise,  as  she  handed  me  her  card.  "  Why,  did  you 
not  speak,  last  Spring,  on  Salvation  and  Character, 
in  Springfield  ?" 


WITH  DELIGHTFUL  STKANGERS.     217 


"  I  did." 

"  Well,  I  thought  I  must  have  met  you  some 
where,  but  could  not  place  you.  My  brother 
Thecle  and  I  heard  you,  and  that  one  address  of 
yours  saved  him  from  going  wholly  over  to  infi 
delity,  and  cleared  up  so  many  difficulties  that 
were  troubling  my  mind  also.  We  never  before 
eot  such  a  reasonable  and  common-sense  view  of 

O 

what  is  meant,  or  should  be  meant,  by  Christian 
salvation.  You  made  it  something  real  and  tan 
gible,  and  something  no  intelligent  mind  could 
carelessly  lay  aside,  or  fail  to  make  a  subject  of 
profound  study.  My  brother  would  be  delighted 
to  see  you.  Cannot  you  and  your  friend  dine 
with  us  to-morrow?  It  will  be  hardly  out  of 
your  way,  as  we  live  down  the  river,  and  not 
far  from  the  shore.  I  suppose  you  will  stop 
at ?" 

"  We  intend  to." 

"  Well,  ours  is  the  first  large,  square,  and  some 
what  old-fashioned  house  on  the  hill  beyond,  and 
you  will  know  it  by  the  clump  of  trees  on  its  north 
ern  side  provided  with  hammocks  and  patent 
swings.  I  can  assure  you  nothing  would  please 
brother  Thede  better  than  a  talk  with  you.  I 
hope  you  can  come." 

At  this  moment  Charley  came  up,  and  she  re 
peated  her  invitation,  which  he  at  once  accepted, 
supposing  I  had  done  the  same.  I  had,  practi 
cally,  but  added,  "It  will  certainly  be  a  very  pleas 
ant  change  for  us,  and  we  are  exceedingly  obliged 
to  you." 


2 1 8  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Then  we  shall  expect  you,"  she  said,  as  we 
took  our  leave. 

I  bowed,  and  Charley  said,  "  Nothing  less  than 
a  cannon-ball  will  prevent  us." 

Raising  our  hats,  we  bade  the  company  adieu 
and  started  for  the  boat. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

TWO  JOLLY  FELLOWS  IN   A   BOAT. 

"\A7E  were  ready  to  push  off,  when  two  young 
ladies  came  rushing  down  the  bank,  and  one 
of  them,  whom  Charley  introduced  as  Carrie  Hor- 
ton,  exclaimed,  "  We  shall  miss  you  awfully,"  a 
remark  meant  for  Charley. 

"  I  hope  we  shall  not  be  long  separated,"  Charley 
replied  ;  "  for  I  shall  simply  exist  till  we  meet 
again." 

"  Oh,  you'll  forget  us,"  said  Carrie  Horton,  "  as 
soon  as  you  are  out  of  sight." 

"  Forget !  "  ejaculated  Charley  with  a  sigh  of 
distress.  "  Can  a  wounded  eagle  forget  the  dart 
that  pierced  its  flesh  ?  " 

The  girls  giggled.  "  You  don't  look  much 
wounded,"  remarked  Miss  Horton's  companion. 

"  Ah  !  "  Charley  replied,  placing  his  hand  over 
his  heart,  "  how  much,  then,  my  looks  belie  me! 
for  my  wound  is  deep,  and  can  never  be  healed 
except  by  the  sweet,  soothing,  mollifying  salve  of 
— I  leave  you  to  supply  what  my  timid  tongue 
dares  not  utter." 

The  girls  giggled  again,  and,  as  we  pushed  off 
from  the  shore,  I  thought  I  detected  Miss  Horton 


220  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


throwing  a  kiss  at  Charley,  and  his  movements 
bore  out  the  idea  ;  for  he  opened  his  mouth  as 
if  to  catch  something,  and  then  swallowed  with 
every  manifestation  of  delight,  patting  his  throat 
and  stomach  as  if  it  tasted  good  all  the  way  down. 
His  acts  and  facial  expression  were  so  comical  I 
could  not  help  shaking  with  pent-up  laughter, 
though  I  managed  to  work  hard  at  the  oars,  and 
we  were  soon  out  in  full  view  of  the  party  on 
the  bluff,  who  saluted  us  handsomely,  and  then 
sung  "  Should  old  acquaintance  be  forgot."  We 
lifted  our  hats,  and  waved  them  in  acknowledg 
ment  till  they  were  hid  from  our  view.  I  then 
broke  the  silence  with  hearty  and  continuous 
laughter. 

"  Where  are  you  hurt  ?  "  Charley  asked,  look 
ing  up  with  a  face  of  solemn  aspect  and  feigned 
alarm. 

"  What  outrageous  thing  are  you  going  to  do 
next,  Charley  ?  " 

"  Outrageous  ?  Don't  use  such  strong,  Biblical 
terms — I  mean  Eastern-country  terms,  where  the 
Bible  was  writ." 

"  You  are  a  brick  !  "  I  said,  falling  into  a  college 
expression,  with  which  I  knew  him  to  be  familiar. 

"  A  brick,"  he  retorted,  "  is  a  parallelogram  ;  I 
am  not  a  parallelogram,  and  therefore  not  a  brick, 
though  of  clay  and  burnt — by  the  sun."  Rising, 
and  striking  an  attitude,  he  continued,  "  Behold 
these  graceful  proportions,  and  this  exalted  mien, 
and  then  belittle  my  mighty  aspect  by  calling  me 
a  brick  !  " 


TWO  JO  LI.  Y  FELLOWS  IN  A  BOA  T. 


He  sat  down  with  the  air  of  one  who  had  anni 
hilated  his  opponent. 

"  Charley  Lightheart,  you  paralogize." 

"  No,  Elbert  Bloomfield,  I  syllogize  ;  but  I  will 
condescend  to  hear  you  state  the  paralogism, 
though  it  hurts  my  dignity  to  have  my  great  rea 
soning  faculties  called  in  question." 

"  Well,  because  you  are  not  a  parallelogram, 
you  draw  an  unwarrantable  conclusion." 

"  Listen  then,"  said  he,  counting  his  fingers  ; 
"  a  brick  is  hard,  and  coarse,  and  stiff,  and  rough, 
and  insensible,  sharp-cornered,  unchangeable,  and 
generally  red  in  color ;  whereas  I  am  soft,  and  lim 
ber,  and  fine,  and  smooth,  and  sensitive,  round, 
changeable,  and  generally  pinkish  in  color,  when 
not  wrought  up  to  the  white  heat  of  indignation 
by  your  obfuscations  of  my  sparkling,  intellectual 
ratiocinations.  Listen  again,  I  am  conscious ; 
a  brick  is  not  conscious  ;  therefore  I  am  not  a 
brick.  Is  there  any  paralogism  about  that?  Is 
it  not  a  perfect  syllogism  ?  Have  I  not  touched 
the  nadir  depths  of  logical  profundity  ?  Let  the 
contents  of  your  cranium  be  still.  Silence  is 
golden  at  an  hour  like  this  !  " 

Of  course,  there  was  nothing  to  do  but  laugh  ; 
for  the  soberest  Jew,  even  a  weeping,  wailing  Jer 
emiah,  could  not  look  upon  Charley  Lighthcart 
in  his  droll  moods  without  convulsive  laughter. 
Charley  saw  the  grotesque  side  of  everything,  and 
no  one  enjoyed  a  laugh  better  than  he,  especially 
after  getting  me  to  laughing,  because,  I  suspect, 
he  was  under  orders  from  both  Dr.  Lightheart 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


and  himself  to  keep  me  in  good  spirits.  At  any 
rate,  we  laughed  much  on  this  vacation  trip  and 
always  felt  the  better  for  it.  Better  than  medicine, 
clarifying  the  brain,  it  made  me  more  in  love  with 
nature  and  nature's  God. 

"  Charley,"  I  said,  as  soon  as  there  was  sufficient 
calm,  "  you  have  a  mission." 

"  State  it,  my  Lord  Elbert." 

"  It  is  to  take  out  overtaxed  brain-workers  and 
convalescents  on  easy  excursions,  and  cure  them 
by  making  them  forget  themselves.  Do  you 
know  I  have  a  theory,  that  the  salvation  of  the 
body  may,  in  part,  hinge  on  the  same  principle  as 
the  salvation  of  the  soul,  at  least,  in  one  impor 
tant  consideration.  In  either  case  self  must  be 
buried  out  of  sight.  We  find  our  higher  selves  by 
losing  our  lower  selves.  If  we  seek  Christ,  and 
think  only  of  ourselves,  we  shall  not  find  Him  ; 
and  so,  if  we  walk,  or  ride,  or  exercise,  and  con 
tinually  think,  This  is  for  my  health,  we  shall  not 
find  the  health  we  seek.  What  we  want,  for 
health  of  body  or  mind,  is  to  get  out  of  self,  and 
stay  out,  and  live  in  the  glad  sunshine,  the  fresh 
air,  the  songs  of  birds,  the  beauties  of  nature,  the 
thought  of  God,  and  the  welfare  of  man." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  Charley,  "  I  should  not 
always  find  so  appreciative  an  invalid  as  you  are. 
Many  people,  you  know,  receive  our  best  efforts 
to  cheer  them  with  about  as  much  response  as  the 
mud  receives  the  pebble." 

"  Too  true,  Charley,  but  there  are  enough  of 
the  other  kind,  who,  I  believe,  are  actually  dying, 


Tiro  JOr.L  Y  FELLOWS  IN  A  BOA  T.  223 


not  from  any  cause  recognizable  by  medical 
science,  but  because  they  are  living  in  the  sultry 
atmosphere  of  self-consciousness  breathed  over 
and  over,  till  it  has  become  poisoned  and  suffocat 
ing,  and  they  need  some  one  like  you  to  drag 
them  out  of  it." 

"  \Yhat  if  they  prefer  their  lethargic  air  to  the 
free  breath  of  heaven  ?  " 

"  Well,  if  anybody  can  send  into  their  mias 
matic  world  a  shaft  of  social  lightning  to  drive 

o  o 

them  out,  where  God's  free  winds  can  blow  upon 
them,  and  fill  their  lungs  with  healthful,  life-giving 
oxygen,  that  person  is  yourself." 

"  You  overestimate  my  ability,  friend  Elbert ; 
besides,  I  am  a  very  retiring,  shrinking,  timid 
young  man." 

"  It  looks  so  by  the  way  you  met  and  spoke  to 
a  whole  company  of  ladies  and  gentlemen  you 
never  saw  before,  this  very  day  noon." 

"  That  was  a  case  of  necessity,  where,  like  the 
children  of  Israel  at  the  Red  Sea,  I  must  go  for 
ward  or  perish.  I  might  have  slunk  away  like  a 
fool,  and  thereby  revealed  just  what  I  was,  but  I 
resolved  to  put  the  best  polish  on  the  fool  I  could, 
and  so  waded  in,  as  the  phrase  goes,  though  with 
palpitating  heart  and  smiting  knees." 

"  Well,  I  don't  see  but  you  got  through  your 
Red  Sea  as  triumphantly  as  the  Israelites  did 
through  theirs." 

"Not  quite,  I  think;  my  knees  are  rather  sore, 
and  my  heart  may  be  wounded  just  a  little." 

"  Who  could  have  wounded  you  '  " 


224 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Oh  !  there  were  so  many  pretty  girls,  I  felt 
the  prick  of  Cupid's  darts  in  several  quarters. 
Perhaps  Miss  Horton  wounded  me  deepest.  I 
got  the  most  acquainted  with  her.  She  is  in  for 
a  good  time,  and  isn't  afraid  to  push  for  it.  She 
is  good  style  too.  How  were  you  struck  with  her, 
Elbert  ?  " 

"  Oh,  not  specially." 

"  Bah  !  you  want  a  woman  to  be  a  theologian." 

"  No,  Charley,  what  I  want  to  find  in  a  woman 
is  some  depth  of  mind,  and  great  depth  and 
steadiness  of  heart,  and,  having  these,  she  may 
boil  over  with  fun,  the  more  the  better." 

"  Isn't  Miss  Horton  all  that  ?  " 

"  She  seemed  rather  shallow,  though  bright, 
what  there  was  of  her,  and  fairly  quick-witted." 

"  Well,  she  skims  the  surface  pretty  lively,  and 
perhaps,  after  all,  gets  most  of  the  cream  of 
things." 

"  There  is  something  in  that,  perhaps,  but  I 
like  to  see  a  love  for  the  solid,  and  a  disposition 
to  look  into  the  heart  of  things,  together  with 
some  moral  purpose  in  life.  A  shallow-brained 
and  shallow-hearted  girl  is  no  fit  companion  for  an 
intelligent  fellow  like  you.  In  the  hour  of  trial 
and  in  times  of  small  disturbances  and  petty  dis 
appointments,  instead  of  helping  you  by  uncom 
plaining  cheerfulness,  she  would  add  to  your 
burdens  by  her  peevish  fretfulness.  Without 
brains  or  heart  enough  for  self-control,  uncon 
sciously  to  herself,  perhaps,  she  would  be  more 
thoughtful  for  her  cat  than  for  you.  But  this  in 


TWO  JOLL  Y  FELLOWS  IN  A  BOA  T.  225 


general  as   a  warning,  and   not   that    I    read  it  in 
Carrie  Horton." 

"  I  thank  thee  for  that  saving  sentence.  Really, 
no\v,  don't  you  think  her  chatty  and  pleasant  ?  " 

"  Apparently,  yes.  She  could  assent  to  what 
you  said  very  prettily,  but  seemed  to  have  few 
ideas  of  her  own  beyond  dress  and  gossip." 

"  You  must  have  observed  her  very  closely." 

"  Oh,  no  !  only  what  I  was  forced  to  by  her 
making  herself  somewhat  conspicuous  at  one 
time,  while  I  was  conversing  with  Miss  —  —  Oh  ! 
I  have  her  card  ;  here  it  is,  and  her  name  is 
Theodocia  Willmette  Thornton.  She  called  her 
brother  Thede,  short  for  Theodore,  I  suppose. 
Their  parents,  who,  she  told  me,  are  dead,  must 
have  had  a  taste  for  alliteration,  though  Will 
mette  would  seem  to  militate  against  that  theory. 
It  was  an  afterthought  probably,  put  in  on  account 
of  its  originality  and  prettiness.  She  doubtless 
is  known  by  the  name  of  Theo." 

"  She  seemed  a  trifle  too  serious,"  said  Charley, 
"but  whether  appropriately  named  or  not,  she  was 
mighty  good  to  invite  us  to  dine  to-morro\v.  I 
expect  a  fine  spread,  and  you  know  my  heart  is 
very  tender  towards  the  author  of  fine  spreads. 
I  almost  love  her  already  in  anticipation  of  the 
good,  square  meal  she  will  set  before  us." 

"  You  are  of  the  earth  earthy,  Charley." 

"  No,  I  am  firmly  planted  on  the  earth,  that's 
all.  Jacob's  ladder,  I  believe,  rested  on  the 
earth." 

"  Yes,  but  its  top  reached  to  heaven." 
15 


226  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Well,  I  may  top  out  there  sometime,  but  I'd 
like  to  frisk  around  the  base  awhile  first." 

"  The  longer  you  stay  at  the  base  of  the  ladder, 
the  harder  it  will  be  to  climb.  The  spiritual  limbs 
get  stiffened  and  fixed  in  a  measure  by  non- 
use." 

"  Perhaps  so,  but  I  have  an  idea  that,  after 
having  a  full  experience  of  what  there  is  in  this 
world,  I  can  start  on  more  understandingly  to 
wards  the  spiritual  world." 

"  That  seems  to  be  the  common  idea,  or  incli 
nation,  but  it  is  wrong.  To  say  nothing  of  the 
waste  of  time  in  chasing  after  mere  worldly 
pleasures,  which  like,  soap-bubbles,  look  beautiful 
in  the  sunlight  of  anticipation,  but  when  realized 
leave,  in  the  hand  that  grasps  them,  only  a  cold, 
damp  spot  of  disappointment ;  to  say  nothing  of 
the  formation  of  habits  hard  to  break ;  to  say 
nothing  of  the  weakening  of  the  \vill  from  self- 
indulgence  in  its  power  to  turn  toward  the  better 
way,  you  need  the  spiritual  as  an  every-day 
interpreter  of  the  natural  world,  to  throw  light  on 
a  thousand  questions  which  otherwise  have  no 
meaning.  The  lower  cannot  explain  the  higher; 
but  the  higher  can  supplement  and  make  plain 
the  lower.  To  form  a  clear  and  correct  idea  of 
even  a  worldly  life,  you  need  the  spiritual  qual 
ification  first  and  always.  Man  here  is  buried  in 
flesh  and  blood,  and  the  only  true  Light  reaching 
him  is  from  above,  and  it  is  only  by  following 
that  Light  and  climbing  by  the  steps  of  faith,  and 
hope,  and  memory,  and  patience,  and  love,  that 


TWO  JOLL  Y  FELLOWS  IN  A  BOA  T.  227 


he  can  rise  free  and  clear  above  what  is  merely 
physical,  and  look  off  with  extended  and  correct 
view  on  all  below  him." 

"  Now,  Elbcrt,  don't  you  see  you  are  making  my 
position  uncomfortable  by  knocking  the  pins  out 
from  under  me,  and  letting  me  fall  flat  as  a 
flounder  ? " 

"  There  are  foundations  which  cannot  be 
shaken  ;  but  the  folly  of  living  for  this  world  has 
been  demonstrated  over  and  over  again." 

"  Well,  the  fact  is,  I  want  to  see  the  folly  of  it 
myself,  and  then  I  shall  know  from  experience." 

"  Oh,  the  strange  perversity  of  human  nature  ! 
Why  not  learn  from  the  experience  of  others?" 

"  Do  we  really  know  what  we  have  not  ex 
perienced  ?" 

"  I  suppose  not  fully." 

''  Why  then  complain  of  me  ?  " 

"  Because  there  are  some  things  not  desira 
ble  to  know — for  instance,  how  a  man  feels  when 
suffering  from  remorse  over  the  committal  of  a 
crime,  or  wasted  faculties  and  opportunities." 

"  There  you  have  me  again  !  I  see  what  you 
are  coming  at.  Suppose  we  adjourn  the  meeting 
till  early  candle-lighting  ?  " 

"  I  fear  we  might  as  well,  Charley." 

"  Oh  !     I  will  think  this  over  sometime." 

The  silence,  which  followed,  was  broken  by 
Charley. 

"  Rlbert,  do  you  know  much  about  the  Thorn 
tons  ?  " 

"  I  know  they  are  very  nice  people.      I  learned 


228  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


incidentally  of  them  once,  though  I  had  forgotten 
about  it  till  my  memory  was  refreshed." 

"  I  was  told  to-day  that  they  were  rather  aris 
tocratic." 

"  Wealthy  people  are  apt  to  have  that  reputa 
tion,  and  not  always  justly  ;  but  I  like  a  little 
aristocracy  of  the  right  kind.  Mark,  I  mean  the 
genuine,  not  the  codfish." 

"  Will  my  brother  Elbert  just  explain  a  little, 
so  I  can  get  his  idea  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  like  a  certain  amount  of  agreeable 
and  polite  formalities,  since  there  must  be  forms, 
or  methods  of  some  kind.  For  example,  I  like 
to  see  a  well-set  table,  the  food  in  nice,  pretty 
dishes,  on  a  nice,  pretty  tablecloth,  with  flowers, 
if  convenient,  and  other  table  adornments,  such 
as  a  little  forethought  and  taste  may  supply. 
Then  I  like  to  have  the  coarser  food  removed 
before  the  dessert  is  brought  on,  and  to  see  no 
one  rise  from  the  table  without  a  well-expressed 
excuse,  until  all  are  through  eating.  In  short, 
Charley,  I  like  to  see  an  air  of  refinement  in  the 
home  and  outside  of  it,  and  an  orderly  procedure 
and  politeness  in  the  household  affairs  and  family 
intercourse,  free  from  all  stiffness,  because  origin 
ating  in  a  genuine  respect  and  thoughtfulness  for 
each  and  all." 

"  That  is  not  a  bad  kind  of  aristocracy,  Elbert  ; 
but  the  unnatural,  uneasy,  uncomfortable,  put-on 
airs  are  a  stench  in  my  nostrils.  Deliver  me  from 
codfish,  anyway.  I  want  none  of  that  in  mine. 
But,  oh,  Elbert  !  the  height  of  earthly  happiness, 


TWO  JOLL  Y  FELLOWS  IN  A  BOAT.  229 


the  concentrated  sweetness  of  life's  most  delect 
able  joys,  lie  in  an  abundance  of  luxurious  food, 
and  in  sufficient  variety,  with  plenty  of  elbow- 
room  (aristocratically  speaking,  you  know  ! ),  and 
no  hypercritical  eyes  to  watch  the  rapid  disap 
pearance  of  the  goodies.  Every  nerve  in  me 
thrills  at  the  thought,  and  my  gastric  juices  begin 
to  bubble  and  boil,  as  if  it  would  be  a  pleasure  to 
them  to  tackle  all  I  could  put  in  my  stomach.  I 
wish  I  could  portray  to  you  the  material  glories 
of  the  day  coming,  when  I  shall  sit  down  with 
my  wide-awake  Carrie  at  one  end  of  the  table, 
and  myself  at  the  other,  and  I  am  expected  not 
to  stand  too  much  on  the  ceremony  of  going  in, 
but  to  go  in  !  That  last  clause  is  a  hint  from 
Shakespeare,  or  some  other  elegant  fellow." 

"All  poetic  thought  with  you,  I  see,  must  be 
a  dance  of  the  blood,  like  that  of  Saxe,  and  not 
of  the  spirit,  like  that  of  Tennyson.  If  you  get 
a  spiritual  idea,  you  straightway  clothe  it  in  flesh 
and  blood,  and  give  it  something  to  eat,  and  so 
your  perversion  of  poetic  sentiment  is  to  be  ex 
pected.  Just  think  of  your  highest  earthly 
paradise — stuffing  the  hole  in  your  face  with 
meats,  and  fowl,  and  pastry,  and  using  your  chin 
as  a  mill  with  which  to  grind  it  !  Noble,  isn't  it  ?  " 

"  Elbert  Bloomfield  !  are  you  trying  to  flatter 
me  ?  " 

"  Perhaps." 

"Well,  sir,  I  find  it  difficult  to  so  construe  your 
words.  I  will  not  sit — I  will  rise  and  stand  so 
long  as  there  is  a  doubt  of  your  appreciation  of 


230 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


my  superlative  grandeur  as  a  man  every  way. 
Behold  this  noble  dome  of  thought,  jutting  out 
over  eyes  that  look  down  on  you  like  balls  of 
fire,  in  very  wonderment  over  your  stupid  lack 
of  insight  into  the  capabilities  and  powers  of  my 
ponderous  brain  !  But  I  will  condescend  to  dem 
onstrate,  even  to  your  apprehension,  that  I  am 
not  only  some  pumpkins,  but  great  pumpkins. 
Even  now,  at  the  slightest  bidding,  the  proof  of 
my  high  position  in  the  niche  of  literary  fame 
comes  bubbling  up  from  the  wells  of  genius. 
Listen  to  my  poetic  soul,  and  be  dumb  as  the 
rocks  on  yonder  shore  ;  listen  with  confusion  of 
face,  and  be  confounded." 

Throwing  back  his  head  and  shoulders,  and 
folding  his  arms  on  his  breast,  and  rolling  his 
eyes  as  if  nearly  bursting  with  self-esteem,  he  re 
cited  the  following  lines : 


"  '  From  the  billowy  green  beneath  me, 

To  the  fathomless  blue  above, 
The  Creatures  of  God  are  happy 

In  the  warmth  of  their  summer  love. 
The  infinite  bliss  of  Nature 

I  feel  in  every  vein ; 
The  light  and  the  life  of  summer 

Blossom  in  heart  and  brain.' 


"  I  wonder,"  he  continued,  looking  down  on 
me  very  pompously,  "  how  you  can  hear  me 
without  shrinking  away  withered,  and  blighted, 
and  blasted  by  the  scorching  thought  of  my  over 
whelming  greatness !  " 


TWO  JOLLY  FELLOWS  fAr  A  BOAT.  231 


•'  How  long  were  you  in  composing  that  fine 
poem  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  How  long?  Did  it  not  come  forth  at  once, 
and  spontaneously  from  my  overflowing  and 
superabundant  thought  ?  " 

"  Then  it  did  not  cost  you  as  much  labor  as  it 
did  Bayard  Taylor  ?  " 

"Bayard  Taylor!  Do  you  mean  to  insinuate 
that  that  poem  is  not  mine  ?  I  want  you  to 
understand  I  bought  the  book  containing  it  a 

o  o 

long  time  ago,  and  it  is  my  property.  Besides, 
did  not  the  poem  pass  through  the  alembic  of  my 
own  memory,  voice,  and  dramatic  attitude  ? 
Bayard  Taylor  indeed  !  I  think  he  preferred  the 
money  to  the  book,  and  thought  it  a  fair  exchange, 
or  he  would  not  have  sold  it." 

"  Of  course,"  said  I,  continuing  the  serio-comic 
conversation  ;  "  but  do  you  think  you  bought  all 
the  rights  of  authorship,  when  you  bought  that 
book  ?  " 

"  No,  sir,  he  had  a  perfect  right  to  commence 
another  book  the  next  moment  without  consult 
ing  me  in  the  least." 

"  You  are  a  generous  fellow  !  " 

"  I  know  it,  Elbcrt,  and  yet  I  am  not  puffed 
up  by  it.  It  is  my  nature  to  be  fair-minded  and 
manly.  I  do  not  even  now  glory  overmuch  in 
your  discomfiture  in  claiming  that  the  poem  I 
gave  was  not  mine.  Having  proved  that  the 
front  chair  in  the  literary  universe  belongs  to  me, 
I  will  now  resume  my  seat." 

Here  he   put  his   thumbs    in   the   arm-holes  of 


232  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


his  vest,  and  spreading  out  his  fingers,  sat  down 
with  such  an  air  of  preposterous  assumption  of 
superiority  that  he  was  simple  irresistible.  If  I 
did  not  have  more  lung  capacity  that  night,  and 
more  muscle  and  nerve  force  from  better  circula 
tion,  it  was  not  Charley's  fault. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

AN  UGLY   VISITOR. 

D  EACTION  came  at  last,  as  of  course  it  should 
*^  and  will  in  all  healthy  minds,  and  we  became 
quiet  and  reflective  till  we  reached  a  good  place 
for  camping.  That  Ethel  became  mysteriously 
involved  in  some  of  these  reflections  it  is  not  my 
purpose  to  affirm  nor  deny  ;  but  I  tried  to  school 
myself  to  the  thought  that  her  happiness  was  the 
first  and  only  thing  to  be  considered,  and  not 
mine.  If  I  could  do  nothing  as  a  lover  to  make 
her  life  round  and  full  and  sweet,  I  \vould  keep 
from  her  all  knowledge  of  my  great  love  ;  but  I 
would  always  be  a  friend,  and  watch  for  opportu 
nities  to  bring  blessings  down  upon  her,  though 
no  eye  saw  me  but  the  eye  of  Him  who  is  the 
source  of  all  creature  comforts. 

We  went  early  to  bed  under  our  little  tent, 
pitched  on  the  highest  bluff  we  could  find.  Our 
bed  was  made  soft  by  using  the  boughs  in  our 
boat,  and,  thanks  to  plenty  of  exercise  in  the  open 
air,  and  the  hearty  enjoyments  of  the  day,  we 
slept  well,  and  were  awakened  the  next  morning 
by  the  singing  of  the  thrush  and  the  oriole. 
There  was  a  slight  rain,  and  then  the  clouds  scud 


234 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


away,  as  if  frightened  at  the  approaching  sun, 
which  suddenly  burst  forth  in  glorious  light,  send 
ing  its  bright  and  cheering  rays  along  the  valley, 
and  among  the  trees,  till  every  raindrop  became 
illumined,  and  the  face  of  nature  wore  an  aspect 
of  pensive  beauty,  like  a  beautiful  woman  smiling 
through  her  tears. 

We  got  what  we  failed  to  get  the  night  before, 
a  view  of  the  town  we  were  to  visit,  with  its 
suburbs  of  fine  residences  looking  beautiful  and 
attractive  in  the  glamour  of  the  dawn. 

We  had  breakfasted,  and  Charley  was  standing 
outside  the  tent,  while  I  was  within,  replacing 
food  in  our  lunch-box,  and  rolling  up  our  rubber 
blankets,  when  I  heard  a  strange  footstep,  and 
looking  out  through  a  small  hole  in  the  tent,  I 
saw  a  very  ugly-looking  tramp  with  a  devil-may- 
care  air,  who  immediately  asked  Charley  where 
his  companions  were. 

"  My  companions,"  Charley  answered,  "  are  the 
birds  of  the  air,  the  fishes  of  the  river,  and  the 
rabbits,  squirrels,  et  cetera,  of  the  woods."  Infer 
ring  from  this  that  Charley  was  alone,  he  de 
manded  money,  and  received  the  following  reply,' 

"  What  are  your  principles,  man,  to  demand 
all  a  fellow  has  ?  " 

"  I  hain't  no  principles  what  won't  take  money, 
which  I  must  have,"  said  the  tramp. 

"  Don't  you  know  that  a  man  without  principles 
is  like  a  ship  without  a  rudder?  " 

"  I  want  yer  money,  and  not  yer  gab." 

"  It  is  a  great  blessing  to  be  poor,  my  little  yon- 


AN  UGLY  VISITOR.  235 


kcr,"  said  Charley,  very  coolly  and  provokingly, 
scanning  the  tall,  bony  tramp  from  head  to  foot. 
"  People  who  have  money  worry  lest  they  lose 
it ;  whereas  you  don't  have  to  hide  your  wallet 
when  there  is  nothing  in  it." 

"Are  ye  goin'  ter  hand  over?  "  demanded  the 
tramp  savagely,  taking  a  step  forward. 

"  You  must  not  hurry  me,"  Charley  replied, 
still  calm  and  fearless.  "  Besides,  I  have  a  few 
remarks  to  make  to  you." 

"  Darn  yer  remarks,"  growled  the  tramp  grind 
ing  his  teeth. 

"  My  remarks  need  no  darning,  but  I'm  afraid 
your  character  does.  Those  ugly  holes  in  your 
soul  should  be  mended  at  once." 

"  Your  money  or  I'll — 

"  One  question,  please  ;  why  not  labor  and  earn 
money,  if  you  want  it  ?  " 

"  That's  my  business,"  hissed  the  now  exasper 
ated  tramp.  "  Fork  over,  or  I'll  smash  yer  mug 
fer  ye." 

"  Call  my  face  a  mug  !  "  exclaimed  Charley,  in 
well-feigned  anger.  "  Money  is  trash ;  but  de 
fame  my  transcendentally  lustrous  countenance, 
and  you  defame  me.  Oh,  you  dry-boned  villain  ! 
shall  I  rend  you  as  the  tiger  rends  its  prey?  I 
cannot  restrain  myself." 

I  was  watching  the  tramp,  who  seemed  bewil 
dered  at  this  sudden  change  of  front  ;  but  think 
ing  I  saw  a  knife  in  his  hand,  I  jumped  out,  and 
exclaimed,  "What  is  the  matter?" 

"Oh!     Elbert,   hold   me!  hold   me!"    Charley 


236  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


almost  shrieked,  "  or  I  shall  light  on  this  vile 
blackleg,  and  tear  him  into  a  thousand  shoe-strings." 

"  Hold  me!  ",  he  yelled  again,  as  I  clasped  him 
round  the  waist,  while  he  jumped,  and  snapped 
his  jaws,  and  clawed  the  air  like  a  wild  man. 

"  Run,"  said  I  to  the  tramp,  "  if  you  value 
your  life,  run ;  for  I  cannot  hold  him  a  minute 
longer." 

The  tramp  edged  off,  and  then  took  to  his  heels, 
his  long,  fiery-red  hair  flying  behind  him,  and  his 
loose  garments  bagging  and  flapping  about  his 
skeleton  frame,  as  if  he  had  just  escaped  from 
some  graveyard,  with  avenging  flames  prematurely 
in  hot  pursuit.  He  was  scarcely  out  of  sight 
when  we  exploded  with  laughter,  uncontrolled  and 
uncontrollable,  till  we  fell  to  the  ground  in  sheer 
weakness.  We  made  several  attempts  to  rise, 
when  something  would  be  said  to  set  us  off  again 
in  another  paroxysm  of  merriment.  The  picture 
of  the  flying  tramp  was  so  absurd  we  could  not 
get  it  out  of  our  minds,  and  it  was  a  long  time 
before  we  felt  sufficiently  sure  of  ourselves  to 
strike  tent  and  carry  our  luggage  into  the  boat. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

DINNER  WITH  THE  THORNTONS. 

r~THE  sail  was  uneventful  to ,  where  we  land 
ed,  and  looked  over  the  town ;  and  then, 
laying  in  a  fresh  supply  of  canned  meats  and  other 
imperishable  articles  of  food,  we  dropped  a  little 
farther  down  the  river,  and  secured  our  boat  in  a 
safe  and  obscure  place.  Here  we  used  each  other's 
eyes  as  looking-glasses,  and  made  ourselves  as 
presentable  as  possible,  and  then  started  in  search 
of  the  Thornton  establishment,  where  we  were  to 
dine.  We  found  it  with  no  great  difficulty,  and 
Miss  Thornton  herself  met  us  at  the  door,  and 
received  us  so  pleasantly  and  cordially,  that  we  at 
once  felt  both  at  home  and  glad  we  had  come. 
We  were  ushered  into  a  large  parlor  with  open 
fireplace  and  brass  andirons,  and  roomy,  old-fash 
ioned  furniture,  made  for  comfort  rather  than 
elegance,  and  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  solid, 
substantial  appearance  of  the  house  outside. 
When  she  excused  herself  for  a  few  minutes, 
Charley  said,  as  she  disappeared, 

"  There  is  no  codfish  about  her." 

"  She  is  above  that,"  I  answered,  "  and  has  too 
much  brain  to  care  for  empty  formalities." 


SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


"  One  of  the  aping  kind,"  added  Charley, 
"would  have  let  a  servant  give  us  our  first  intro 
duction  to  the  interior  of  the  home,  even  though 
she  might  have  been  ready,  waiting  and  watching, 
with  nothing  to  hinder  her  from  opening  the  door 
herself." 

Miss  Thornton  returned  with  a  rather  short, 
thickset,  round-faced  man,  and  introduced  him  as 
her  brother.  He  had  not  the  easy  grace  of  his 
sister,  but  was  as  intellectual,  and  as  frank  and 
hearty  in  his  greetings,  and  we  were  at  once  on 
very  easy  terms  with  him  as  well  as  with  his  sister. 
Addressing  me,  he  said  : 

"  I  feel  somewhat  acquainted  with  you,  Professor 
Bloomfield  ;  for  I  was  one  of  a  favored  audience 
that  listened  to  you  on  a  subject  which  interested 
Theo,  here,  and  myself  very  much  indeed.  I  re 
member  your  face  very  distinctly  and  the  general 
drift  of  thought,  and  even  some  of  the  sentences 
you  favored  us  with  that  day." 

"  A  few  listeners  like  you,  Mr.  Thornton,"  I 
said,  "  would  be  invaluable  to  any  speaker." 

"  Perhaps  I  am  not  always  a  good  listener, 
Professor,  but  your  subject,  and  the  views  you 
presented,  were  just  the  kind  of  food  I  was  hun 
gry  for;  though  I  did  not  know  I  was  so  hungry 
till  you  began  to  feed  me,  and  then  I  saw  I  had 
been  starving  for  precisely  that  nourishment. 
Had  not  the  supply  come  as  it  did,  and  when  it 
did,  I  should  have  gone  over  into  open  and  avowed 
scepticism.  And  yet,"  he  added,  striking  his  fat 
knee  with  waxing  earnestness,  "  if  you  will  believe 


DINNER    WITH  Till-.    THORNTONS.  239 

it,  I  heard  church-members  criticising  you  for 
making  Christianity  so  comprehensive  and  simple  ! 
To  come  out  into  the  sunlight  of  practical  common 
sense  seemed  to  blind  their  unaccustomed  eyes, 
and  their  bantam  religion  fainted  at  the  idea  of 
going  into  the  struggles  of  every-day  life,  espe 
cially  business.  It  left  them  no  cloak  of  mystery  to 
shield  them  from  the  responsibilities  which  light 
and  knowledge  bring.  Like  the  Romish  Church, 
the\-  would  put  out  the  light  which  loving  and 
profound  research  throws  on  the  most  important 
subject  engaging  the  human  mind.  Such  persons 
do  an  incalculable  amount  of  injury.  They  repel 
sensible  men  by  misinterpreting  Christianity. 
They  came  near  preventing  me,  by  their  imbecile 
twaddle,  from  seeing  any  beauty,  or  nobility,  or 
helpfulness,  in  the  religion  of  Jesus  Christ.  Can 
such  be  Christians,  Professor  Bloomfield  ?  " 

"If  you  mean  representative  Christians,  or 
mature  Christians,  or  intelligent,  desirable  Chris 
tians,  I  should  answer  in  the  negative." 
"  Can  they  be  Christians  in  any  sense?  " 
"  I  think  we  must  admit  the  possibility,  as  there 
are  infantile  Christians  and  mature  Christians,  the 
intellectually  wise  and  the  intellectually  foolish. 
A  person  may  have  a  little  grace  covered  up  under 
a  great  amount  of  ignorance  and  superstition. 
Unless  we  believe  that,  what  shall  we  call  some 
of  the  Old  Testament  worthies, — to  say  nothing 
of  some  New  Testament  professors  of  religion, — - 
and  how  shall  \ve  account  for  the  salvation  of  any 
dark-minded,  present-day  heathen  ?  " 


240 


SUITS  13 Y  DAY. 


"  Is  there  any  sliding  scale  in  the  holiness  of 
God  to  accommodate  the  low-down  Christian  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not.  God  is  perfect,  immutably  so, 
and  needs  not  become  less  holy  to  reach  the  low- 
down  ;  for  He  comes  to  them  by  His  compassion 
with  instruction  and  help,  and  in  the  person  of 
Jesus  Christ,  but  the  sliding  scale  must  be  with 
us,  and  must  be  upwards.  We  must  be  holy  as 
He  is  holy,  but  it  must  be  that  a  little  grace  will 
make  us  so  ;  for  if  the  seed  is  in  us  it  is  holy  and 
must  do  its  work,  though  it  be  as  small  as  a  mus 
tard  seed." 

"  That  will  take  time,  and  if  Christians  die  in  all 
stages  of  progress,  how  can  they  all  go  to  one 
heaven  ?  " 

"  So  far  as  heaven  is  a  state,  they  will  not  in 
my  opinion." 

"  Do  you  believe  in  an  intermediate  state?  " 

"  I  do  ;  it  is  a  matter  of  every-day  experience." 

"  I  don't  think  I  understand  you." 

''  I  mean  only  that  every  progressive  person  is 
always  in  an  intermediate  state  between  what  he 
leaves  behind  and  what  he  is  approaching." 

"  Oh  !  yes,  certainly — ha!  ha!  There  is  no  get 
ting  round  that  good  sense.  And  you  believe 
that  will  hold  true  of  the  next  world  ?  " 

"  Yes,  in  all  worlds  where  there  is  progress." 

"  Will  there  be  as  many  heavenly  states,  then, 
as  there  are  individuals?" 

"  That  seems  to  be  about  the  way  it  is  here,  to 
state  it  strongly,  and  Jesus  himself  says,  In  My 
Father's  house  are  many  mansions." 


DINNER   U'lEH  THE   TUOKXTOXS. 


241 


"  Will  not  differing  degrees  of  perfection  inter 
fere  with  companionship  ?  " 

"  It  does  not  here,  unless  the  difference  is  too 
marked.  It  is  the  good  and  bad  that  will  not  mix. 
Goodness  everywhere  tends  to  unite.  There  is 
such  a  thing  as  a  perfect  babe,  as  well  as  a  perfect 
man,  and  the  two  are  not  inharmonious,  but  are 
rather  drawn,  the  one  to  the  other  in  love.  Every 
one,  it  seems  to  me,  will  be  happy  in  his  own 
place,  just  where  he  is  fitted  to  be,  and  for  the 
time  prefers  to  be,  not  to  remain  stationary,  but 
to  advance  through  all  eternity,  and  it  will  be  1 1  is 
delight  to  help  every  one  else  to  advance.  There 
can  be  no  such  thing  as  envy,  because  there  will 
be  nothing  to  envy,  unless  it  be  the  love  which 
each  will  feel  towards  one  and  all." 

"  The  growth  will  be  intellectual,  will  it  not  ?  " 

"  Ever}-  way  that  can  enlarge  and  ennoble  the 
personality  ;  otherwise  it  could  not  be  heaven,  it 
seems  to  me." 

"Then,  to  come  back  pretty  close  to  my  first 
question,  Brother  Bloomfield,  is  there  any  excuse 
for  a  Christian  remaining  in  ignorance  and  su 
perstition,  and  a  consequent  unprogressive  state, 
where  the  advantages  for  study  are  so  great  as  in 
a  country  like  ours?" 

"  It  would  seem  not." 

"  Is  it  not  a  too  common  fault  among  church- 
members  that  they  do  not  sufficiently  feel  the  in 
ducements  and  urgency  of  growth  in  all  spiritual 
knowledge  for  their  own  good  and  the  acceptance 

of  Christian   principles   by    others?     If  they  love 
16 


242  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Christianity  as  they  profess,  they  should  try  so  to 
interpret  it  as  to  commend  it  to  the  intelligent 
judgment  of  mankind,  and  thereby  extend  its 
sway." 

"  Alas  !     I  have  to  admit  that  likewise." 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Professor  Bloomfield,  that 
Christian  knowledge  lags  behind  every  other 
knowledge." 

"  How  about  medicine,  Mr.  Thornton  ?  " 

"  Medicine,  I  admit,  is  a  little  uncertain  ;  phy 
sicians  often  have  to  strike  at  the  disease  in  the 
dark,  and  many  times  hit  the  patient  instead  of 
the  disease,  owing  to  the  fact  that  diseases  are 
constantly  being  modified  by  heredity  and  com 
plications  with  other  diseases." 

"  Diseases  are  nearly  as  subtle  and  deceptive  as 
sin  with  which  Christianity  has  to  contend." 

There  was  a  general  laugh  at  this. 

"  Well,"  resumed  Mr.  Thornton,  "  if  physicians 
sometimes  kill  the  bodies  of  men,  ignorant  and 
shallow  interpreters  of  Christianity  do  what  is 
worse,  they  mangle,  if  they  do  not  kill,  the  soul. 
In  some  things  even  medicine  has  reached  the 
rock-bed  of  truth,  and  can  be  relied  upon  ;  and 
surgery  and  dentistry  have  each  been  reduced  to 
a  positive  science.  The  natural  sciences,  too,  are 
marching  on  with  no  uncertain  tread,  sweeping 
the  fields  clean  of  doubt  so  far  as  they  go,  reliev 
ing  human  labor  and  want,  facilitating  interna 
tional  and  other  communication,  promoting  social 
intercourse,  and  ameliorating  the  condition  of 
mankind  generally.  Indeed,  all  knowledge  is  be- 


DINNER   WITH  THE   THORNTONS. 


243 


coming'  more  and  more  clear  and  positive  except 
religion,  which  is  taught  as  vaguely  as  ever.  It 
has  no  clear,  well-defined  steps  out  of  sin  into 
holiness.  Nowhere  has  it  been  reduced  to  a 
science  in  its  methods  of  growth.  If  it  had  it 
would  have  done  more  for  the  world.  Why  has 
not  Christianity  produced  more  and  grander  speci 
mens  of  manhood  and  womanhood  ?  " 

"  Theological  teachers  are,  perhaps,  some  at 
fault,  and  then  it  may  arise  in  part  from  the  fact 
that  ministers  are  more  intent  on  the  conversion 
of  their  congregations  than  on  their  progress  after 
conversion.  Better  Christians,  however,  would 
make  preaching  easier  and  more  effectual." 

"  Yes,  indeed,  and  in  preaching  to  the  uncon 
verted  they  might  improve  vastly.  They  tell  us 
to  come  to  Jesus,  and  their  converts  get  up  in 
prayer-meeting  and  tell  us  to  come  to  Jesus,  but 
what  they  mean  by  it  is  not  so  clear,  and  they 
give  the  impression  that  they  don't  know  them 
selves.  The  whole  question  of  conversion,  and 
especially  how  to  overcome  sin,  and  grow  in  all 
the  graces  belonging  to  a  beautiful  life,  are  too 
much,  and  it  seems  to  me  needlessly,  in  the  fog. 
You  are  the  only  one  who  ever  gave  me  any  clear, 
steady  light  on  these  things.  If  men  have  felt 
certain  things,  and  know  they  have,  why  can't  they 
speak  of  their  experience  in  that  plain,  candid  way 
they  would  speak  of  their  business  ?  "Why  so  loose 
and  vague  in  religious  matters,  and  so  clear  and 
definite  in  their  ideas  on  other  subjects?  Is  it 
because  in  the  latter  case  they  know  what  they 


244  SHIPS  BY  DAY 


are  talking  about,  and  in  the  former  they  do 
not?" 

"As  I  intimated,  I  think  preachers  may  be  a 
little  at  fault.  Like  priest,  like  people." 

"  If  I  could  have  my  way,  Professor  Bloomfield, 
I  would  wipe  out  every  theological  seminary  in  the 
land." 

"  Why  so,  Mr.  Thornton  ?  " 

"  Because  I  believe  they  turn  out  preachers  with 
their  backs  to  the  future  and  their  faces  to  the 
past.  They  mould  them  all,  too,  after  one  pat 
tern,  despoiling  them  of  every  original  and  natural 
aptitude  for  the  illustrative  enforcement  of  their 
ideas,  and  reducing  them  so  nearly  to  machines 
that  they  will  run  in  denominational  grooves,  and 
never  get  out  unless  thrown  out  by  an  earth 
quake,  or  some  intellectual  convulsion,  and  then 
they  scarcely  get  awake  enough  to  see  over 
ancient  and  sectarian  lines." 

"  Our  theological  seminaries  may  not  encourage 
independent  thought  and  original  methods  as 
much  as  they  might  safely,  and  doubtless  might 
give  more  time  to  the  science  of  Christian  living  ; 
but  they  are  useful,  I  think,  in  their  way,  with  all 
their  faults,  and  their  destruction  would  not 
remedy  the  defects  you  so  strongly  deprecate." 

"  I  can  only  judge  the  seminaries  by  their 
preachers,  who  come  forth  with  their  eyes  either 
turned  inwards  or  reset  in  the  back  or  their  heads, 
so  that  they  are  neither  independent  nor  varied, 
and  can  tell  us  nothing  new  how  to  make  Chris 
tianity  helpful  in  everyday  life." 


DINNER   WITH  THE   THORNTONS.  245 


"  That  reminds  me,  Mr.  Thornton,  of  what  I 
have  long  felt  would  be  a  great  step  towards  a 
much  needed  reform  ;  and  that  is  the  establish 
ment  by  wealthy  laymen  in  our  theological  semi 
naries,  of  professorships  on  applied  Christianity, 
especially  on  the  science  of  character-building." 

Miss  Thornton  here  exchanged  looks  with  her 
brother,  and  though  interested  before,  appeared 
doubly  so  now,  her  dark  eyes  sparkling  with 
delight,  as  if  she  was  entertaining  a  new  and  wel 
come  thought. 

"  The  aim,"  I  went  on,  "  should  be  to  make  the 
process  of  reformation  and  development,  by  state 
ment,  argument  and  illustration,  as  clear  and 
practical  in  all  its  steps  as  the  building  of  a 
house,  so  that  the  dullest  could  see  the  way  and 
walk  therein.  In  short,  the  best  and  deepest 
thinking  of  the  age  should  be  turned  to  this  most 
important  of  all  subjects  and,  so,  as  far  as  possible, 
reduce  to  a  science  the  method  of  building  up 
the  Christian  character,  or  enlarging  and  ennobling 
Christian  manhood  and  womanhood." 

"  It  seems  to  me,  Professor  Bloomfield,  you  are 
just  the  one  to  give  the  first  course  of  lectures  on 
that  subject,"  said  Miss  Thornton,  looking  at  me  a 
little  timidly  but  eagerly. 

"Yes,"  assented  Mr.  Thornton,  "  and  if  you 
will  give  such  a  course  here  next  winter,  we  will 
relieve  you  of  all  care  in  the  expense  of  publica 
tion." 

"  You  are  very  kind  indeed  ! "  I  exclaimed  in 
surprise,  "  and  I  thank  you  very  much  ;  but  I  am 


246  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


comparatively  a  mere  stripling,  and  not  equal  to 
the  task.  Older  and  abler  men  should  lead  off  in 
a  matter  so  momentous." 

"  Older  men  are  not  so  well  qualified  to  speak 
on  such  a  subject  as  you  are,"  Mr.  Thornton 
asserted  emphatically ;  "  for  you  have  thought  of 
it,  and  they  have  not." 

"  Do  not  refuse,"  pleaded  Miss  Thornton  shyly, 
and  blushing  in  her  earnestness.  Not  heeding 
my  plea,  they  went  on  urging,  till  I  could  only 
look  from  one  to  the  other,  bewildered  for  a 
moment  at  their  earnest  persistency.  At  length, 
fearing  their  pressing  desire  might  be  a  cry  from 
their  own  hearts  for  help,  I  said : 

"  I  find  myself  unable  at  present  to  refuse  what 
is  so  cordially  and  generously  asked,  lest  I  be 
found  closing  my  eyes  and  ears  to  a  plain  call  of 
the  Master.  I  can  do  nothing  in  preparation  at 
present,  but  in  the  autumn,  or  as  soon  as  I  take 
up  work  again,  I  will  consider  it." 

"  The  more  you  consider  it,  the  more  you  must 
feel  that  duty  calls  you  to  this  work,  and  I  shall 
regard  the  matter  as  settled,"  said  Mr.  Thornton 
confidently. 

"  You  will  make  our  house  your  home  during 
the  lectures,"  said  Miss  Thornton,  "  and  we  shall 
look  forward  to  your  coming  with  a  great  deal  of 
satisfaction,  determined  to  be  very  unreconciled 
if  you  disappoint  us  ;  "  and  so  saying  she  left  the 
room,  returning  with  Miss  Horton,  whom  we  met 
at  the  picnic  the  previous  day. 

We  at  once  repaired  to  the  dining-room  under 


DINNER   WITH  THE   THORNTONS.  247 


the  leadership  of  Mr.  Thornton,  Miss  Thornton 
passing  us  along  and  following  in  the  rear.  A 
tiny  wood-fire  was  burning  in  the  fireplace,  more 
for  ornament  than  use,  and  the  table  was  richly 
set  with  old-fashioned  china  and  solid  silver,  and 
adorned  with  cut  flowers  in  beautiful  antique 
vases,  and  a  button-hole  bouquet  tastefully  ar 
ranged  with  each  napkin.  Miss  Thornton  pre 
sided  with  that  easy  grace  which  natural  endow 
ment  and  custom  give,  and  did  her  full  share  in 
anticipating  and  filling  any  gap  in  the  conversa 
tion  by  her  ready  wit,  and  suggestive  questions. 
Charley  was  happy.  It  was  just  the  meal  he 
liked,  and  there  was  plenty  of  time  to  eat  it  ;  for 
it  progressed  with  that  delicate  leisure  which  is 
the  mark  of  good  breeding  and  true  culture. 

Between  courses  we  told  some  of  our  advent 
ures  down  the  river,  Charley  touching  them  off 
in  high-comedy  style,  which  produced  much 
merriment.  Mr.  and  Miss  Thornton  entertained 
us  with  vivid  descriptions  of  neighboring  scenery 
and  incidents  of  travel,  and  Miss  Ilorton  confined 
herself  mostly  to  giving  queer  and  unexpected 
meanings  to  what  was  said. 

We  all  ate  heartily,  but  the  slowness  with 
which  we  ate,  the  good  cheer  with  which  we 
swallowed  our  food,  and  the  laughter  with  which 
we  pursued  it,  and  finally  the  stroll  we  .took  in 
the  flower-garden  in  the  open  air,  at  the  sugges 
tion  of  Miss  Thornton,  immediately  after  dinner, 
were  the  best  guarantee  against  indigestion  and 
the  horrors  of  dyspepsia. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

IN  THE  THORNTON  SUMMER-HOUSE. 

A  FTER  exploring  the  garden,  the  Thorntons 
•**  and  myself  entered  a  pretty  little  summer- 
house  provided  with  comfortable  rockers,  and 
sat  down,  while  Charley  and  Miss  Horton  were  at 
the  other  end  of  the  garden  apparently  satisfied 
with  each  other's  company. 

"  Professor  Bloomfield,"  asked  Mr.  Thornton. 
"  to  renew  one  point  in  the  conversation  we  had 
before  dinner,  how  do  you  account  for  the  fact 
that  so  many  so-called  Christians  exhibit  nothing 
of  the  disposition  of  Christ  ?  " 

"  If  they  have  not  the  spirit  of  Christ,  they  are 
none  of  His,  according  to  Scripture.  They  are 
deceived  by  superstitious  forms  and  technicalities 
empty  of  anything  real.  They  are  in  the  condi 
tion  of  the  fellow  I  heard  of  in  our  civil  war,  who, 
as  an  answer  to  the  question  what  company  he 
belonged  to,  was  boasting  that  Jesus  Christ  was 
the  Captain  of  his  salvation,  when  a  soldier  spoke 
up,  '  Well,  sir,  all  I  have  to  say  is,  you  are  a  long 
ways  from  headquarters  ! ' ' 

"  Pretty  good  !  pretty  good  !  ha,  ha !  That 
soldier  hit  the  case  of  a  large  proportion  of 


IN  THE   THORNTON  SUMMER-HOUSE.         249 


church-members,  I'm  thinking.  Why,  I  Have  seen 
them  in  their  business  meetings  display  as  much 
selfishness,  and  even  bad  temper,  as  any  body  of 
worldly  sinners." 

"  It  is  sadly  true,  Mr.  Thornton,  that  too  many 
have  so  little  of  the  love  of  God,  as  manifested  in 
Jesus  Christ,  that  it  does  not  control  them  stead 
ily,  and  they  drop  down  too  easily  out  of  the 
love-life  into  their  old,  selfish,  animal  life." 

"  Many  of  them  do  not  seem  to  have  any  love- 
life  except  in  prayer-meetings  ;  and  that  is  what 
kills  the  evidence,  to  many  worldly-wise,  that 
Christianity  has  any  power  to  make  men  bet 
ter." 

"  Too  true,  Christians,  and  especially  Christian 
teachers,  forget  that  it  is  perhaps  just  as  im 
portant  that  the  good  be  made  better,  as  it  is 
that  the  bad  be  made  good.  If  this  be  not  true, 
there  is  no  explanation  of  the  discipline  of  sorrow 
that  good  men  receive  at  the  hand  of  Providence. 
Besides,  Jesus  seems  to  urge  the  feeding  of  His 
flock  as  strongly  as  their  conversion.  I  have  long 
felt  that  the  Christian  world  has  waked  up  to  only 
half  its  duty  ;  and  the  neglected  half  is  the  study 
of  Christ.  To  know  Him  crucified  is  to  have  His 
disposition,  His  self-sacrificing,  charitable,  and 
loving  spirit  ;  and  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  we  are 
told,  is  '  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering  (there  is 
a  good  deal  of  suffering  in  the  world,  but  not 
much  long-suffering),  gentleness,  goodness,  faith, 
meekness,  self-control,'  or  the  government  of  all 
the  desires." 


250 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  How  many  Christians  exhibit  such  fruit  as 
that,  Professor  Bloomfield  ?  " 

"  Alas !  it  might  be  difficult  to  find  one,  Mr. 
Thornton.  If  I  had  ten  such  to  support  me  in 
Christian  influence  and  service,  I  could  build  up 
a  church  without  much  urging  of  the  gospel  upon 
people.  Those  ten  persons  would  make  the 
gospel  so  attractive  by  their  lives  that  the  church- 
doors  would  be  thronged  by  eager  seekers." 

"Yes,  indeed!  and  now  if  Christians  are  in  ear 
nest  and  can  have  this  most  effective  way  of  draw 
ing  us  by  exhibiting  the  disposition  of  Christ  in 
its  beauty,  why  don't  they  have  it  and  exercise  it  ?  " 

"  It  is  owing  partly  to  a  want  of  knowledge  how 
to  proceed,  this  subject  being  little  studied,  and 
because  conversion  is  held  practically  to  be  the 
only  important  thing.  A  person  at  conversion 
is  said  to  be  saved,  and  he  looks  upon  himself  as 
saved,  and  therefore  does  not  feel  the  urgent 
need  of  anything  more  as  he  ought  and  would,  if 
taught  that,  at  conversion,  he  has  only  entered 
the  school  of  Christ,  and  has  everything  to  learn. 

"  I  believe  we  are  progressing  towards  the  day 
when  the  whole  gospel  will  be  preached  and  prac 
ticed,  as  much  as  a  part  of  it  is  now.  The  im 
portance  of  growing  up  into  the  fulness  of  the 
stature  of  Christ  must,  and  will  be,  explained  and 
enforced,  as  well  as  conversion.  Why,  conver 
sion  is  only  the  beginning  of  correct  living  !  When 
I  send  a  ball  into  the  air,  the  point  where  it  turns 
to  come  back  is  the  point  of  conversion,  but  how 
slow  it  moves  at  first  !  and  how  fast  it  increases 


IN  THE   THORNTON  SUMMER-HOUSE. 


251 


ill  force  till  it  strikes  the  earth  !  So  a  Christian, 
once  started  in  the  divine  life,  should  advance 
with  accelerated  speed  till  the  end  comes  here, 
and  then  the  angels  will  sing,  Lift  up  your  heads, 
O,  ye  gates  !  and  let  this  child  of  glory  in.  It  is 
indeed  sad  that  the  Master  has  no  better  represent 
atives  on  the  earth,  but,  slow  as  the  progress  is, 
there  has  been  progress,  and  the  times  arc  ripen 
ing,  I  believe,  for  a  decided  impetus  to  be  given 
in  the  right  direction.  There  is  a  great  yearning, 
growing  more  and  more  widespread,  for  something 
deeper  and  grander  and  more  glorious  than  what 
Christianity  has  thus  far  produced  ;  and  this 
yearning  is  a  prophecy  that  will  have  its  fulfil 
ment.  It  only  needs,  perhaps,  some  new  Luther, 
fired  with  an  unquenchable  zeal  and  an  invincible 
faith,  to  bring  about  a  newr  and  great  reformation 
hardly  second  in  importance  to  the  first.  There 
may  be  reformers  before  this  reformation,  as  there 
were  before  the  first  ;  but  each  apparent  failure 
will  only  help  ripen  the  times,  and  prepare  the 
way  for  the  appointed  and  successful  Luther, 
when  he  comes. 

"  The  time  has  gone  by,  or  is  fast  going  by,  when 
a  mere  historical  Christianity  can  satisfy.  We 
cannot  rest  upon  the  past.  We  crave  and  need  a 
present  Christ,  and  a  living,  forceful  Christianity. 
What  can  Christianity  do  noiot  is  the  great  test 
question,  and  it  must  be  answered  by  living  ex 
amples.  Will  the  examples  be  forthcoming  ?  1 
have  not  the  least  doubt  of  it.  Christianity,  to 
day  even,  is  better  taught  and  better  lived  than 


252  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


ever  before,  however  discouraging  some  things 
may  appear;  and  a  higher,  broader,  deeper,  truer 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  at  hand.  The  creed  of  the 
future  will  be  a  pledge  to  prayerfully  pattern 
after  the  loving  disposition  of  Christ,  and  to 
strive  everywhere  and  always  to  exemplify  the 
fruit  of  the  Spirit." 

"  Professor  Bloomfield,  the  fact  that  you  see 
all  the  defects  I  see,  and  perhaps  more,  and  still 
have  confidence  in  Christianity,  gives  me  en 
couragement  to  hope  and  believe ;  but  another 
difficulty  stands  in  my  way.  Could  not  the 
ordinary  prayer-meeting  be  made  more  sensible 
and  helpful?" 

"  Undoubtedly,  Mr.  Thornton." 

"  I  ask  because  at  the  last  one  I  attended,  the 
whole  meeting  was  nothing  but  sentimental  brag 
from  beginning  to  end,  and  it  was  no  great  excep 
tion  to  the  others  I  have  attended.  One  said,  I 
love  Jesus;  and  another,  Jesus  loves  me;  and 
another,  I  am  pressing  on  towards  the  kingdom  ; 
another,  I  am  washed  and  made  clean  ;  another,  I 
am  saved — come,  poor  sinner,  and  be  saved  too, 
and  so  on  ;  not  one  helpful  idea  for  the  conflicts 
of  life  ;  and  I  came  away  feeling  that  I  had  been 
feeding  on  husks  !  Can  God  be  pleased  with  such 
unseemly  self-assertion?  If  they  had  told  their 
experience  in  the  battle  with  sin,  I  might  have 
carried  away  something  from  the  meeting.  I  like 
emotion,  but  not  pumped-up  emotion.  Why 
should  not  the  best  thought  be  put  into  worship, 
Professor  Bloomfield  ?  " 


IN  THE   THORNTON  SUMMER  HOUSE, 


"  Religious  subjects  are  certainly  worthy  of  all 
the  thought  we  can  put  into  them,  whether  in  the 
prayer  and  conference  meeting,  or  elsewhere  ;  but 
we  must  bear  in  mind  that  all  Christians  are  not 
capable  of  much  thought,  and  the  weak  ones  should 
not  be  discouraged  from  expressing,  as  best  they 
may,  the  religious  life  that  is  in  them  ;  for  life 
without  expression,  like  the  tree  which  puts  forth 
no  new  shoots,  soon  dies.  By  full  and  free  ex 
pression  the  weak  Christian  may  grow  and  become 
strong ;  but,  while  the  little  ones  should  be 
fostered  and  cheered  on  their  way,  the  high  aim 
of  the  prayer-meeting  need  not  and  should  not 
be  sacrificed.  The  leader  should  not  confine  the 
meeting  to  babes. 

"  Those  of  experience,  who  have  something  to 
say,  and  know  how  to  say  it,  are  needed  for  the  in 
struction  and  help  of  all,  and  should  be  the  con 
trolling  spirits,  the  younger  and  more  emotional 
coining  in  to  give  freshness  and  variety  and 
impetus  to  the  meeting.  Every  class  of  gifts, 
however  halting,  has  its  uses,  and  will  help  some 
body,  and  should  be  encouraged  ;  but,  as  before 
intimated,  the  thoughtful  should  see  to  it  that 
they  contribute  something  helpful  and  inspiring, 
so  that  the  people  may  go  away  with  their  emo 
tions  distended  with  ideas  to  think  about  during 
the  week. 

"  The  trouble  is,  one  talks  without  thinking, 
another  thinks  without  talking,  and  those  who 
both  think  and  talk,  are  few.  Persons  who  do 
not  think,  have  little  or  no  appreciation  of  the 


254  S///PS  BY  DAY. 


value  of  thought ;  and  yet,  there  is  nothing  more 
substantial,  and  lasting,  more  fraught  with  the 
possibilities  of  germinative  and  procreative  power 
than  a  live  thought,  especially  a  Christian  thought 
We  are  not  making  the  best  use  of  the  prayer- 
meeting  ;  it  should  be  more  of  an  experience 
meeting,  more  of  a  school  for  study  of  the  means 
of  grace,  for  comparing  Christian  exercises  and, 
methods  of  overcoming  the  world,  or  selfish  tend 
encies, — -a  meeting  of  mutually  helpful  sympathy, 
and  prayerful  yearning  to  be  made  worthy  of 
being  useful  to  others,  as  we  have  opportunity/* 

"  How  would  it  do  to  give  out  subjects  before 
hand,  such  as,  how  to  conquer  a  bad  temper,  to 
resist  temptation  and  overcome  sin  in  the  heart, 
to  become  conscious  of  acceptance  with  God  and 
of  His  constant  indwelling,  etc.?" 

"  I  think  the  giving  out  of  such  very  important 
subjects  occasionally  would  be  an  admirable  plan, 
tending  to  spiritual  growth,  if  Christians  would 
give  them  hard,  earnest,  prayerful  study,  and  then 
come  to  meeting  in  a  teachable  mood,  and  compare 
their  varied  views  and  experiences  of  the  matter 
in  hand,  the  pastor,  perhaps,  at  the  close,  summing 
up  the  different  helpful  thoughts  and  suggestions, 
so  that  the  members  could  easily  grasp  and  carry 
them  away.  Our  church  covenant  meetings,  es 
pecially,  might  be  made  more  of  a  school  for  the 
study  of  Christian  experiences,  both  successes  and 
failures ;  more  of  a  waiting  on  God,  and  learning 
of  Him,  and  so  be  more  helpful,  uplifting,  and  in 
spiring  means  of  grace.  At  any  rate,  something 


IN  THE   THORNTON  SUMMKK-I1OVS1-:.         255 

must  be  done  to  lead  the  church  into  higher 
Christian  living,  so  that  it  can  preach  the  gospel 
more  effectually  than  it  does  now  ;  for  the  first 
step  in  reforming  others  is  to  reform  ourselves, 
whether  it  be  Christian  reformation  or  any  other." 

Mr.  Thornton  here  spoke  slowly,  thoughtfully, 
and  with  a  good  deal  of  feeling  : — 

"  I  should  like  to  be  a  member  of  a  real  school 
of  Christ  ;  for  that  is  what  I  deeply  need.  I  could 
not  join  as  an  ornament,  but  merely  as  a  learner. 
My  great  desire  is  not  so  much  to  be  saved  as  to 
be  fit  to  be  saved,  to  be  accounted  worthy,  not 
merely  by  men,  but  by  God,  who  sees  down  into 
the  centre  and  core  of  the  heart.  I  wish  to  be  of 
use  in  the  world  by  partaking  of  the  character  and 
manhood  of  Jesus  of  Nazareth." 

"  My  dear  Thornton,"  I  said,  warmly  clasping 
him  by  the  hand,  "  you  are  just  the  kind  of  man 
God  wants  in  His  service  to-day.  Men  are  needed 
who  seek  Christianity,  not  as  a  screen  from  eternal 
fire,  but  as  a  transforming  power  that  shall  make 
them  so  pure  that  fire  will  find  nothing  in  them  to 
burn.  How  much  you  would  help  Dr.  Blentwood, 
if  a  member  of  his  church  !  You  strengthen  my 
belief  that  God  is  moving  in  the  direction  in  which 
I  thinkand  feel  so  much,  and  that  some  time  I  shall 
have  the  sympathy  of  the  best  Christian  minds." 

"  I  do  not  see  how  any  Christian  can  fail  to  feel 
the  desirability  of  having  your  views  prevail." 

"  Ah  !  you  little  know  how  hard  it  is  to  move 
the  Christian  world  in  any  new  direction,  and  how 
suspicious  even  good  men  are  of  any  change. 


256  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Why,  even  Dr.  Blentwood  has  been  accused  of 
Unitarianism  because  he  presses  the  importance 
of  Christian  character  !  " 

"  What !  are  they  so  narrow  as  to  reject  a  truth 
because  held  by  another  denomination  ?  I  wonder 
they  do  not  go  barefoot  because  infidels  wear 
shoes ! " 

"  The  fact,  I  suspect,  is  that  Dr.  Blentwood 
disturbs  the  self-complacency  of  church-members 
by  preaching  to  them  ;  whereas  the  gospel,  in 
their  view,  means  preaching  to  sinners.  This  is 
another  proof  that  the  church  is  not  wholly  sanc 
tified,  and  therefore  needs  preaching  to.  And 
then,  there  is  such  a  thing  as  a  depressing,  repress 
ing  fear  of  getting  out  of  old  lines  of  thought  and 
action,  which  deprive  men  of  that  breadth  of  judg 
ment  and  teachableness  of  spirit  so  essential  to 
the  appreciation  of  anything  at  all  new,  though 
it  be  but  an  old  truth  in  a  new  light. 

"  But,  to  recur  to  what  you  said,  there  is,  un 
doubtedly,  an  unreasoning  prejudice  in  most  minds 
against  any  truth  held  by  an  opposing  denomina 
tion,  perhaps  because  they  think  it  is  in  bad  com 
pany.  If  the  early  Protestants  did  not  go  bare 
foot  because  Roman  Catholics  wore  shoes,  they 
rejected  almost  everything  else  practised  by  them. 
They  would  not  even  have  Scripture  quotations 
on  the  walls  back  of  their  pulpits  because,  they 
said,  it  savored  of  popery.  But,  ever  since,  Prot 
estantism  has  been  going  back  after  truths  left 
behind  in  the  Romish  Church.  Dr.  Robinson  used 
to  say  that,  to  stand  alone,  a  bag  must  have  some- 


JN  THE   THORNTON  SUMMER-IIOUSK. 


257 


thir^  in  it,  at  least  straw  or  stubble;  and  so  every 
sect,  however  heterodox,  must  have  some  truth 
in  it  or  it  would  collapse." 

"  Professor  Bloomfield,  if  church-members  were 
all  like  you,  I  could  not  stay  out  of  the  church." 

"  Dear  Brother  Thornton,  I  am  grateful  for  your 
appreciation  ;  but  remember,  if  the  church  were 
all  to  your  liking,  it  would  not  need  you  so  much 
as  it  does  now.  Isn't  it  a  part  of  your  mission  to 
help  the  church  up  to  the  true  standard  ?  And, 
moreover,  is  it  not  your  imperative  duty  to  put 
your  influence  where  it  will  tell  for  the  right  ?  If 
God  has  been  working  on  your  heart,  is  it  not 
your  privilege  as  well  as  duty  to  proclaim  it  be 
fore  the  world,  and  buckle  on  the  armor  in  His 
cause  ?  " 

"  I  have  not  thought  of  it  in  just  that  way,  but, 
as  much  as  I  dislike  to  come  in  contact  with  big 
oted  people,  if  I  knew  I  was  a  Christian,  I  would 
not  hesitate." 

"  Do  you  desire  with  your  whole  being  to  have 
the  kingdom  of  heaven  set  up  within  you  ?  " 

"  I  do,  and  would  do  anything  to  secure  it." 

"  Then  you  will  be  willing  to  pray  with  me  ; 
and  you,  Miss  Thornton,  I  know,  will  join  us,  for 
you  are  only  waiting,  like  your  brother.  There 
is  enough  here  to  claim  the  promise,  the  special 
one,  I  mean.  Let  us  unite  our  hearts  on  the  one 
thing  at  hand." 

We  then  and  there  knelt  down  in  the  little  sum 
mer-house,  and  my  prayer,  with  choking  utter 
ance,  was  followed  by  touching  petitions,  with  a 


258  SfffPS  BY  DAY. 


full  surrender  of  their  hearts,  from  both  brother 
and  sister ;  and  when  we  arose  a  new  light  was 
shining  in  their  eyes,  for  their  tears  were  tears  of 
joy.  They  had  become  conscious  that  they  loved 
God  and  were  members  of  His  spiritual  family  ; 
and,  when  seated  again,  we  clasped  hands  in  our 
mutual  gladness,  and  sang  with  overflowing  hearts, 
"  Praise  God  from  whom  all  blessings  flow." 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

THE  DYING  TRAMP. 

AT  the  first  pause  in  our  singing  a  ragged, 
unkempt,  barefooted  boy  looked  in  upon  us 
very  much  out  of  breath,  and  in  a  scared  manner 
said,  looking  at  Mr.  Thornton,  "  Please,  sir,  paup  is 
killed  and  wants  ter  see  ye,  and  have  ye  bring  a 
man  what  knows  what  God  thinks." 

"  Who  are  you  ?  "  asked  Thornton. 

"  I  am  paup's  boy." 

"  Well,  who  is  paup  ?  " 

"  Paup  is  the  ole  man,  my  dad,  what  struck 
marm  this  mornin',  and  then  got  struck  his  own 
se'f  with  er  derrick,  an' — an'  he's  awful  sorry,  sir, 
he  is." 

"  What  is  your  name  ?  " 

"  My  name's  Bill  Durgin,  and  paup  tole  me  ter 
come  fer  ye,  'cause  you'd  been  kind  ter  'im." 

"  Oh  !  you  live  over  in  the  hollow,  near  the 
brook  ?  " 

"Yeah,  and  paup  and  marm's  in  a  awful  hurry 
fer  ye  ter  come." 

Mr.  Thornton  jumped  up,  saying,  "  Will  you  go 
with  me,  Brother  Bloomfield  ?  " 

"Certainly,"-  said     I,     and     we     were     off    im- 


260  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


mediately  in  a  direct  line  across  field,  and  were 
soon  at  the  door  of  a  rough-looking  shanty.  We 
entered  without  knocking,  and  saw  lying  on  a 
clean,  but  scanty  bed,  a  large,  coarse-featured 
man,  whom  I  recognized  as  Charley's  would-be 
robber  !  Remorse  had  evidently  sunk  both  beak 
and  talons  deep  into  his  soul.  He  had  a  wild, 
untamed,  out-cloor  look,  like  that  of  an  eagle 
brought  down  suddenly  to  earth,  and  deprived 
for  the  first  time  of  its  freedom.  Animal-like  and 
uncouth  as  he  was,  there  was  something  all  the 
more  pathetic  in  his  look,  as  the  first  sorrow, 
probably,  of  his  life,  went  hotly  surging  through 
all  the  range  of  his  meditations.  As  we  ap 
proached,  he  looked  up,  and  Mr.  Thornton  asked  : 

"  What  is  the  matter,  Durgin  ?  " 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Thornton,  I'm  killed,  and  a  darn 
fool — that's  what's  the  matter." 

"  Have  you  had  a  physician?" 

"  Yas,  where  I  got  hurt ;  but  what  I  want  ter 
know,  Mr.  Thornton,  is,  what  God  does  with  darn 
fools.  He  don't  want  'em  foolin'  round  Him,  I 
s'pose,  and  if  He  puts  'em  in  kettles  over  the 
fire,  and  biles  'em,  as  I've  seen  the  picter  of,  and 
has  the  devil's  dance  round  'em  with  sharp  pitch 
forks  ter  keep  'em  in,  I  don't  see  what  goocl'll 
that  do — do  you,  Mr.  Thornton  ?  'Twon't  bile  the 
fool  out  of  urn,  will  it  ?  " 

"  No,  that  is  not  the  way  God  makes  men 
wise  ;  but  why  do  you  call  yourself  a  fool  ?  " 

"  'Cause  I  is  one,  worse'n  wicked,  fer  I  tried 
ter  rob  a  man  this  mornin',  and  'cause  I  couldn't, 


THE  DYING   TRAMP.  261 


I  came  hum  mad,  and  knocked  Polly  down,  and 
then  went  tor  Jones's,  and  hadn't  been  ter  work 
five  minutes  afore  God'lmighty  knocked  me 
down  for  my  cussedness ;  and  Polly  says  they 
brought  me  hum,  and  here  I  is  killed!  I'd  been 
drinking  a  leetlc  too  much.  Oh  !  O — h  !  " 

"  When  you  struck  your  wife,  Durgin,  you 
struck  the  best  friend  you  have,  and  without 
reason,  too." 

"  Reason  !  does  a  darn  fool  want  a  reason  fer 
doin'  anythin'  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  not." 

"  No  p'raps  'bout  it.  Look  at  that  air  Polly, 
and  see  ef  ye  can  find  any  reason  fer  hittin'  her, 
'cept  the  reason  of  a  fool  what's  got  no  reason." 

Polly  began  to  cry. 

"  Gods'  agin  me,  Pol  !  ef  ye'll  hit  me  with  ther 
poker,  it'll  do  me  a  heap  o'  good." 

"  Yer  didn't  mean  ter,  Jim." 

"  Yer  too  good  !  Pol,  don't  say  that.  Why 
don't  yer  throw  ther  tongs  at  me,  and  maul  me 
with  the  mop  and  fire-shovel?  That'd  make 
things  more  kinder  squar',  and  I'd  feel  better. 
Oh,  Pol  !  Oh,  Mr.  Thornton !  I've  been  the 
plaguetakest  fool  ye  ever  laid  eyes  on,  and  what's 
God  goin'  ter  do  with  me?  What's  ther  use  o' 
fools,  anyway  ?  All  ther  devil  can  use  me  fer  is 
ter  make  fun  of,  and  I'm  'fraid  he'll  carry  his  fun 
too  fer.  Nobody  wants  me  fer  any  good." 

"  I  want  ye,  paup." 

"  Pol !  Pol !  ef  ye'd  broomstick  me  hard  on  the 
face,  ye'd  comfort  me  some.  Yer  goodness  is 


262  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


what  leaves  me  without  underpinin'.  Oh,  Jim 
Durgin  !  " — addressing  himself  in  great  agony — 
"  yer  fool  you  !  yer  empty-headed  numbskull !  yer 
never  got  any  sense  till  God'lmighty  knocked  it 
inter  ye  with  ther  derrick.  Yer  debts  are  mount 
ain  high,  and  ye've  nothin'  ter  pay  with,  yer  tar- 
nal  idyut !  Oh  !  Mr.  Thornton,  what  shall  I  do  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Durgin,"  Thornton  replied,  "  I  have 
brought  you  Professor  Bloomfield,  a  wise  and  good 
Christian,  who  will  advise  you  better  than  I  can." 

"Wise  and  good,  eh?"  said  the  injured  man, 
turning  his  eyes  upon  me.  "  Yer  must  feel  mighty 
tickled  not  ter  be  a  fool  like  me." 

"  A  wise  man  once  said,"  I  answered  "  '  If  all  fools 
wore  white  caps,  we  should  seem  a  flock  of  geese.'  " 

"  He  thought  'em  pooty  thick,  did  he  ?  None 
of  um  such  fools  's  I've  been  though,  and  ef  they 
be,  I  don't  want  none  o'  their  comp'ny,  for  I'm 
sick  of  myself.  Ugh  !  ef  my  soul  should  bust, 
what  a  mess !  What  can  God  do  with  a  man, 
what  ain't  satisfied  ter  be  what  he  is  ?  " 

"  He  can  make  him  wise  unto  salvation." 

"What  d'yer  say?" — trying  to  rise  on  his 
elbow,  and  his  face  brightening. 

"  If  you  are  truly  sorry  for  your  past  life,  and 
with  all  your  heart  wish  to  be  a  good  man,  God 
can  convert  you,  and  make  you  fit  for  the  com 
pany  even  of  angels." 

"  I'd  be  too  mighty  big  a  job  for  that, 
wouldn't  I  ?  " 

"  He  has  declared  through  His  Prophets,  and 
through  His  Son,  Jesus  Christ,  who  revealed  Him 


THE  DYING   TRAMP.  263 


more  clearly  still,  that  whosoever  will  may  come 
and  have  real,  true,  divine  life  like  that  of  God 
Himself  ;  and  '  whosoever  '  means  you,  wicked  as 
you  have  been.' 

"  Me  !  "  His  whole  frame  shook  with  eagerness 
as  he  added,  "  Kin  yer  'splain  how  't  could  be 
done  ?  " 

"  Before  Molly  bakes  her  bread,  she  puts  some 
thing  into  the  dough  to  make  it  rise,  does  she 
not  ?  " 

"  Yas,  emptin's." 

"  Well,  God  can  put  His  love,  His  divine  life 
into  your  soul,  and  make  it  rise  into  likeness  with 
Him,  eventually  killing  out  all  the  weeds  of  sin." 

"  How'll  I  squar'  the  'count  for  ther  ole  fool  I've 
been?  " 

"Your  folly  will  be  remembered  no  more 
against  you  ;  for  you  will  become  a  new  creature, 
old  things  passing  away,  and  all  things  becoming 
new,  and  you  will  have  nothing  but  love  for  God 
and  everybody,  and  everybody  nothing  but  love 
for  you." 

"  Hain't  it  too  late  wrhen  a  man's  killed?" 

"  He  will  take  you  now,  just  as  you  arc,  if  you 
sincerely  repent,  and  crave  forgiveness,  and  give 
yourself  wholly  to  Him." 

"  Oh,  there's  nothin'  but  ther  fag-end  of  me  left ! 
and  ain't  it  mean  ter  give  Him  that?" 

"  It  is  mean  not  to  have  given  Him  all  your 
life  ;  but  it  is  meaner  still,  if  that  be  possible,  not 
to  give  1  lim  what  little  life  you  have  left.  God,  as 
revealed  in  Jesus  Christ,  is  full  of  tenderness,  self- 


264  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


sacrifice,  and  compassionate,  helpful  love,  and  is 
waiting  to  begin  a  new  life  within  you,  to  save 
you  ;  and  you  ought  not  to  lose  a  moment  of 
time  in  giving  Him  all  your  gratitude  and  all  your 
love." 

"  That's  so,  whatever  He  does  ter  me,  hain't  it, 
Mr.  Thornton  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  Mr.  Thornton  replied,  "  you  owe 
everything  to  Him." 

"  And  ther  way  I've  been  payin'  Him  is  actin' 
like  a  pesky,  tarnation  fool  all  my  born  days  !  " 

"  Please  don't  use  such  harsh  language." 

"  Why,  good  man,  shouldn't  I  be  hash'  on  my 
self  ?  fer  I  hain't  hit  myself  half  hard  'nough  yet. 
Why  not  call  things  what  they  is  ?  " 

"  Well,  I  would  rather  hear  you  say  you  are 
very,  very  sorry  for  your  past  wicked  life,  and 
that  you  would  give  everything  you  have  and  are 
to  become  a  good  Christian  man,  such  as  God 
would  have  you." 

"  Good  man  alive  !  sorry  ain't  no  name  for  it  ; 
it's  too  dogonned  tame  !  " 

"  Then,  do  you  not  desire  above  all  things  to 
get  rid  of  all  that  past  life  that  you  now  so 
hate  ?  " 

"  Hang  it,  good  man  !  I'd  get  inter  one  o'  them 
air  devil's  kittles  and  be  biled,  if  they  could  bile 
ther  dang  stuff  outer  me  ;  but  they  can't,  can 
they  ?  " 

"  No,  punishment  cannot  make  a  new  man  of 
you  ;  God  alone  can  do  that  through  your  re 
pentance." 


THE  DYING   TRAMP.  265 


"  Wall,  I  wantcr  do  what'll  make  ther  'count 
square." 

"  The  account  is  square  already,"  said  Miss 
Thornton,  coming  in  from  the  open  door,  where 
she  had  hesitated  a  moment,  and  overheard  the 
last  words  of  the  dying  man. 

"Oh,  Lady  Thornton!  you've  helped  us  out 
many  times,  and  given  Molly  fine  things,  and  paid 
her  too  fer  workin',  and  so  you're  all  right  ;  but 
how  can  ther  'count  be  square  with  me  ?" 

"  Jesus  died,"  she  replied,  "  and  paid  every  debt 
you  owe,  and  all  you  have  to  do  is  to  believe,  and 
give  your  heart  to  Jesus." 

"  Then  I've  got  ter  pay  Him,  and  what's  ther 
dif?" 

"  He  asks  no  pay  but  your  love.  He  paid  the 
debt,  because  He  knew  you  could  not." 

"  I  will  though  ;  fer  I've  skinned  my  way  long 
'nough  from  other  folks,  and  I'm  goin'  it  squar 
now,  ef  it  kills  me.  Ef  He  won't  let  me  work 
out  my  tax  fer  Him,  I'll  go  down  and  squirm  it 
out  with  t'other  chap,  till  He  says  it's  square." 

Miss  Thornton,  perplexed,  looked  at  me  beseech 
ingly,  and  then  went  over  to  comfort  Molly. 

"  Mr.  Durgin,"  I  resumed,  "  the  only  way  for  you 
to  pay  your  debts  is  by  obedience  to  God's  com 
mands,  and  lie  commands  you  to  give  Him  your 
heart  that  He  may  love  it  into  life.  He  pities 
you  with  an  infinite  pity,  and  has  declared  in 
Jesus,  His  Son,  that  He  will  forgive  and  forget 
all  your  past  sins,  and  let  you  begin  life  anew, 
making  you  His  child  by  giving  you  of  his  Spirit, 


266  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


iove  and  wisdom,  if  you  will  only  give  yourself 
entirely  into  His  hands,  and  submit  wholly  to 
Him,  who  knows  just  what  you  need,  and  better 
than  you  can  ask  or  think.  Remember,  Mr. 
Durgin,  it  is  the  one  you  owe  God  Himself,  who 
is  waiting  to  forgive  the  debt." 

"  Oh,  I  thought  Lady  Thornton  said  Jesus  paid 
it." 

"  Jesus  revealed  God's  willingness  to  forgive  ; 
it  is  God,  in  Jesus  Christ,  who  accepts  you,  and 
declares  the  debt  off  the  moment  you  sincerely 
ask  it.  If  you  could  make  the  past  and  yourself 
right  before  God,  you  would  not  need  Him  as  a 
Helper  and  Saviour." 

"  That's  so,tru's  yer  live, by  hokey  !  My  ole  tough 
skull  begins  tcr  crack  open  a  bit,  and  let  in  ther 
light.  I  see  God's  got  ter  take  me  as  I  be,  ef  He 
takes  me  at  all,  and  Oh  !  Oh  !  what  a  mess  o'  poor 
stuff  He'll  find  in  me  !  " 

"  I  think  I  see  your  difficulty,"  said  Mr.  Thorn 
ton.  "  You  find  it  hard  to  believe  that  God  can 
forgive  so  bad  a  man  as  you  have  been." 

"  That's  it,  Mr.  Thornton  ;  I've  been  worse'n 
pusley." 

"  And  yet  God  sees  something  in  you  to  love." 

"  Somethin'  in  me  ter  love  !  Did  yer  say  that, 
Mr.  Thornton  ?  " 

"  Yes,  and  has  proved  that  He  loves  you  by 
sending  His  Son  into  the  world  to  reveal  it.  He 
has  a  heart  large  enough,  and  loving  enough,  to 
take  you  just  as  you  are,  with  all  your  selfishness, 
and,  adopting  you  into  the  family  of  His  Son, 


THE  DYING   TRAMP.  267 


make  you  a  worthy  child  in  the  great  household 
of  the  good,  and  a  partaker  of  His  glory." 

"  Oh  !  this  is  all  too  good  ter  be  true,  hain't  it, 
Mr.  Bl — Bloomfield?"  said  the  trembling  man, 
with  all  the  eagerness  and  half  joy  of  a  struggling 
hope. 

"  It  is  God's  truth,"  I  replied. 

"  Oh  !  is  God  so  good  as  that  ?  That  is  the 
God  I  want.  Oh,  talk  with  Him,  Mr.  Bloomfield  ! 
and  tell  Him  I  want  Him  ter  make  me  good 
right  off.  Tell  Him  I'm  good  fer  nothin',  but 
want  ter  be  forgiven,  and  do  jest  as  He  says.  I 
want  ter  be  a  little  child  agin,  His  child,  and 
mind  Him  in  everything.  Oh  !  do  try  mighty 
hard  fer  me,  wont  yer,  Mr.  Bloomfield,  right  off 
now  ?  " 

We  all  knelt  down  by  his  bed  in  united  prayer. 
He  interrupted  me  by  saying,  "  Tell  Him  how 
sorry  I  am  fer  everything,  and  want  Him  ter  take 
care  o'  Polly."  Afterwards,  he  placed  his  hand 
on  mine  saying,  "  Put  my  hand  inter  His,  and 
ask  Him  ter  lead  me,  'cause  I  don't  know, 
much,  and  ter  hole  on  tight,  and  I'll  foller  Him 
anywhere,"  soon  adding,  "  There  !  that's  it.  Now 
I've  got  safe  holt.  Thank  Him,  and  tell  Him 
Jim  Durgin's  all  His — all  His." 

When  we  arose,  he  opened  his  eyes,  and  the 
tears  for  the  first  time  rolled  down  his  bony 
cheek  ;  but  they  were  tears  we  were  glad  to  see, 
for  his  face  had  lost  not  only  the  hunted,  wild 
look  of  an  animal  at  bay,  but  all  its  painful  ex 
pression,  and  soon  it  was  all  aglow  with  happy 


268  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


resignation,  and  the  joy  of  a  mind  at  peace,  while 
we  sung  at  his  request : 

"  I  am  so  glad  that  my  Father  in  Heaven 
Tells  of  His  love  in  the  Book  He  has  given." 

At  the  close  he  said,  "  It's  growin'  dark.  Polly, 
come  and  take  holt  my  tother  hand.  There,  you 
must  be  glad  ther  derrick  hit  me  Pol,  fer  I  never 
had  no  sense  afore,  and  might  never  seen  ye  on 
t'other  side.  Don't  cry,  good  Pol.  Mr.  and  Lady 
Thornton,  will  ye  look  arter  Polly  a  little  ?" 

"  She  shall  go  home  with  us,  if  she  will,"  both 
replied  in  a  breath. 

"  Do  yer  hear  that,  Pol?  And  by-and-bye  I'll 
come  fer  ye  over  there,  where  the  light  is,  and 
where  ther  white  ones  are  walkin'  in  the  mist  by 
ther  river,  and  we'll  be  tergether  agin,  and  happy, 
'cause  I  won't  be  bad  ter  ye  any  more.  I'll  make 
it  all  square  then.  Don't  cry,  Pol  ;  fer  ye'll  be 
better  off  now.  How  dark  'tis  !  Polly  !  I  can't 
see  yer,  Pol.  Speak  ter  me.  Did  yer  speak,  Pol  ? 
Good  Pol,  I'll  come  back  fer  ye.  I'll  do  my  best 
fer  ye.  Happy  days  comin,'  Pol.  Ther  waves  are 
comin'  in  !  There  !  I'm  driftin'  out.  Good-bye, 
Pol.  I'm  driftin'  out — driftin — out." 

The  voice  had  died  down  to  a  whisper,  and  now 
naught  was  heard  save  the  sobbing  of  poor  Polly 
on  the  pulseless  hand  clasped  in  hers.  James 
Durgin,  let,  us  trust,  had  u  drifted  "  away  to  a 
safe  harbor  on  the  other  side,  though  his  body 
lav  wrecked  and  dead  on  this  shore. 


THE  DYING    TRAMP.  269 


The  forgiving  Polly  could  not  be  induced  to 
leave  her  sad  home  until  after  the  funeral,  when 
she  took  up  her  permanent  abode,  as  servant,  ;n 
the  home  of  the  Thorntons. 


CHAPTER    XXIX. 

IN  THE  THORNTON  PARLORS. 

YX7HEN  we  returned  the  setting  sun  was  send 
ing  along  the  surface  of  the  ground  long 
shafts  of  dull  fire,  causing  the  shadows  to  dart  gro 
tesquely  in  and  out  among  the  trees,  and,  seeing  no 
one  in  or  about  the  summer-house,  we  repaired  to 
the  parlors,  where  we  found  Charley  was  being 
highly  entertained  by  Miss  Horton  at  the  piano — 
to  whom  we  explained  our  unceremonious  absence, 
an  absence,  barring  the  cause,  apparently  very 
gratifying  to  them. 

It  was  too  late  to  renew  our  journey,  and  Char 
ley  and  I  were  easily  persuaded  to  spend  the  night 
with  the  Thorntons.  Besides,  Mr.  Thornton 
wished  to  have  further  conversation  with  me  on 
certain  subjects  lying  near  his  heart. 

After  tea  we  gathered  in  a  circle  for  serious 
talk. 

"That  man,"  said  Thornton,  referring  to  James 
Durgin,  "just  began  to  live  as  he  began  to  die; 
and  he  furnishes  an  apt  illustration  of  what  we  were 
talking  about  before  dinner.  As  your  remarks 
implied,  something  more  than  place  is  requisite 
for  perfect  happiness,  and  as  this  is  corrobo- 


IN  THE   THORNTON  PARLORS.  271 


rated  by  experience,  which  teaches  that  two  per 
sons  may  live  in  one  room,  the  one  happy  and  the 
other  miserable,  and,  therefore,  since  the  man  who 
just  begins  to  live  on  his  death-bed  cannot  go 
straight,  or  immediately,  to  the  same  heaven  or 
state  of  bliss  with  the  man  who  has  lived  all  his  life 
a  growing  Christian,  and  ripened  into  the  very  spirit 
and  disposition  of  Christ,  and  consequently,  since 
he  must  commence  somewhere  at  the  foot  of  the  as 
cending  scale  the  question  arises,  Is  his  happiness 
complete  ?  " 

"  To  the  limit  of  his  capacity,  I  should  say  ;  but 
that  he  must  suffer  loss,  in  comparison  with  one 
who  has  an  abundant  entrance  into  heaven,  is 
clear,  not  only  from  such  passages  as  I  Cor.  3:15, 
and  2  Pet.  I  :  I  I,  but  from  reason  as  well.  Jesus' 
'  many  mansions  '  and  Paul's  '  seventh  heaven  ' 
plainly  indicate  a  diversity,  and  a  gradation  of  bliss 
ful  conditions.  \Yhoever  puts  off  beginning  to 
live,  as  Christ  explained  life,  loses  ground  with 
every  day's  delay.  Does  this  view  disturb  you, 
Mr.  Thornton  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  it  strengthens  my  faith,  be 
cause  it  appeals  to  my  reason  and  sense  of  justice. 
To  preach  the  opposite,  that  all  Christians,  when 
they  die,  go  at  once  to  exactly  the  same  state  of 
bliss,  seems  to  me  a  most  immoral  and  pernicious 
doctrine.  It  makes  salvation  a  mere  technical, 
red-tape  affair,  in  no  way  dependent  on  character, 
or  a  living,  transforming  faith.  If  a  death-bed 
Christian  is  as  good  as  a  lifelong  Christian,  there 
is  no  such  thing  as  growth." 


272  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  And  we  know,  Brother  Thornton,  that  growth 
is  as  much  a  law  of  spiritual  life  as  of  natural  life. 
God  does  not  make  a  great  saint  out  of  a  great 
sinner  all  at  once  by  any  sudden,  almighty  stroke  ; 
He  converts  and  grows  him,  if  I  may  use  a  south 
ern  expression,  though  we  must  bear  in  mind,  that 
with  some  the  conversion  is  deeper,  broader,  full 
er  than  with  others,  and  may  be  so  pervasive  and 
all-controlling  as  to  bring  about  a  more  won 
drous  change  in  a  shorter  space  of  time.  One  per 
son  may  experience  in  a  day  more  of  the  love  of 
God,  as  manifested  in  Jesus  Christ,  than  another 
in  a  year,  simply  because  of  greater  thoroughness 
of  consecration.  To  illustrate,  it  takes  the  master 
of  a  vineyard  a  whole  season  to  '  grow  '  his  grapes 
before  he  can  express  the  juice,  ferment,  and  con 
vert  it  into  wine,  and  even  then  it  requires  age  to 
make  good  wine;  but  at  the  marriage  feast  Jesus 
compressed  the  whole  process  into  a  few  moments. 
So  it  is  not  for  us  to  say  how  much  may  be  done 
towards  changing  a  man's  character  even  on  a 
death-bed ;  but  this  does  not  annul  the  great 
fact,  that  every  day's  delay  in  beginning  a  true 
life  is  so  much  time  wasted,  and  whoever  wastes 
time  that  way  commits  the  most  stupendous  folly, 
both  as  regards  happiness  here  and  hereafter." 

"  Brother  Bloomfield,  you  have  helped  me  so 
much  !  and  now  for  another  point ;  for  I  am  greedy 
for  ideas.  I  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  but  not  in 
everything  proclaimed  as  Christianity.  I  wish  to 
be  an  honest,  unprejudiced  searcher  after  truth, 
avoiding  both  credulity  and  scepticism.  Now  I 


IN  THE   THORNTON  PARLORS.  273 


wish  to  ask  on  which  side  does  the  most  danger 
lie — on  that  of  believing  too  much,  or  doubting 
too  much  ?  " 

"  It  is  more  dangerous,  I  think,  friend  Thorn 
ton,  to  doubt  than  to  believe.  The  darkest  state 
a  man  can  be  in,  is  to  doubt  everything,  and  sus 
pect  everybody.  We  must  believe  in  many  things 
we  cannot  absolutely  know." 

"  Why  must  we  ?  " 

"  Because  much  truth  rests  on  the  authority  of 
persons  better  informed  than  ourselves." 

"  Please  name  one." 

"  Well,  your  parents  knew  you  to  be  their  child; 
but  how  do  you  know  it  ?  " 

"  It  never  occurred  to  me  to  doubt  it." 

"Just  so,  friend  Thornton;  you  accepted  the 
truth  handed  down  to  you,  and  that  acceptance 
has  been  a  great  blessing  both  to  you  and  your 
parents.  In  loving  them  as  your  parents  when 
alive,  and  their  memory  as  such  since  death,  you 
have  proved  that  the  heart  is  a  better  guide  in 
matters  of  the  heart  than  the  head.  The  heart  has 
its  own  proofs,  which  are  more  satisfactory  than 
those  which  appeal  mainly  to  the  head." 

"  You  would  say  that  the  head  or  intellect  is 
chiefly  to  be  relied  upon  in  searching  for  truth, 
would  you  not  ?  " 

"  Yes,  in  searching,  perhaps  ;  but  it  takes  the 
heart  to  see  it  when  found,  and  to  feel  it,  appre 
ciate  it,  and  apply  it.  Belief  in  spiritual  truth 
does  not  rest  so  much  on  demonstration  as  on 
that  intuition  which  comes  from  sympathy  and 
18 


274  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


kinship  with  the  truth,  its  inner  harmony  and 
beauty.  Jesus  said  what  we  know  to  be  true, 
when  He  said,  Blessed  are  they  who  have  not 
seen  and  yet  have  believed.  Many  reject  the 
truth,  because  they  do  not  wish  it  to  be  true, 
having  no  affinity  for  it,  no  inner  appreciation 
and  spiritual  insight  into  it,  and  therefore  are 
wanting  in  the  highest  attainment  of  the  soul." 

"  Should  anything  be  accepted  as  truth,  which 
cannot  stand  the  test  of  reason?  " 

"  I  think  not,  though  some  things  are  beyond 
our  reason  at  present,  as,  for  example,  how  trees 
grow.  We  only  know  that  they  grow.  But  I 
think  the  deepest  truths  of  God  make  their 
appeal  directly  to  the  spirit  of  man." 

"  Without  credentials  ?  " 

"  Without  external  credentials ;  they  carry 
conviction  in  themselves." 

"  But  you  would  say,  would  you  not,  Professor 
Bloomfield,  that  every  faculty  and  power  of  the 
mind  should  be  exercised  to  its  utmost  in  the 
search  after  truth  ?" 

"  Most  assuredly.  It  is  a  sacred  duty,  God- 
given,  and  if  obeyed  there  would  be  less  opinion 
ated  and  uncharitable  men  in  the  world  ;  for  then 
they  would  see  that  their  opinions  are  worth  just 
as  much  as  their  reasons  for  them,  and  no  more. 
The  proper  spirit  is  to  be  ever  willing  to  go  over 
to  the  side  of  truth,  the  moment  the  truth  is 
found  not  to  be  with  you.  The  honest  searcher 
will  seek  to  know  things  just  as  they  are.  It  is  a 
most  salutary  thing  to  commit  one's  self  to  the 


IN  THE   TIIOKA'TON  PARLORS. 


275 


truth,  and  follow  it  regardless  of  consequences, 
never  fearing  that  truth  is  in  danger,  but  that 
he  alone  is  in  danger,  who  clings  to  his  opinions 
with  an  unsubmissive,  unteachable  spirit.  It  is 
that  utter  abandon  to  the  truth,  whether  it  leads 
to,  or  from,  one's  creed,  which  gives  inspiration 
and  a  true  uplift  to  the  soul,  and  is  the  test  of 
loyalty  to  God  and  one's  own  faculties  or  person 
ality." 

"  Then,  there  are  a  good  many  disloyal  ones,  I 
fear,"  said  Charley,  who  had  been  an  attentive 
listener  ;  "  for  the  most  I  talk  with  seem  to  think 
as  much,  at  least,  of  their  opinions  or  creed  as 
they  do  of  the  truth." 

"  Of  course,"  I  continued,  "  a  revelation  from 
God  presupposes  something  to  be  revealed,  and, 
with  our  utmost  study,  there  will  always  be  mys 
tery  enough,  even  after  we  have  studied  thou 
sands  and  thousands  of  years  in  heaven  ;  for  the 
more  we  know  the  more  we  shall  see  that  we  do 
not  know  ;  but  the  man  who  fails  to  search  with 
all  his  might  for  truth,  that  he  may  be  able  to 
give  a  reason  for  the  hope  that  is  within  him,  is 
either  sinfully  negligent  of  duty,  or  is  too  weak- 
minded  to  know  what  duty  is." 

"Yes,  and  the  man  who  does  not  endeavor,  con- 
cientiously  and  prayerfully  of  course,  to  clear  his 
sky  of  the  fog  of  mystery  and  let  in  the  sunshine 
of  knowledge,  has  no  right  to  decry  or  criticise  the 
creed  of  the  man  who  has  so  endeavored,  in  my 
opinion,"  said  Thornton. 


276  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Charley  clapped  his  hands,  and  Miss  Thornton 
asked  : 

"  Do  you  not  think  the  spirit  of  denunciation  in 
the  war  of  creeds  arises  largely  from  the  tendency 
to  identify  truth  with  one's  opinions,  thereby  pre 
cluding  that  teachableness  so  essential  both  to 
charity  of  judgment  and  to  advancement?" 

"Undoubtedly  most  people  find  it  one  of  the 
hardest  and  most  humiliating  tasks  of  their  lives 
to  feel  obliged  to  give  up  their  cherished  opinions, 
and  we  all  know  that  without  teachableness  no 
one  can  learn.  This  is  why  Jesus  told  His  disci 
ples,  if  they  would  be  great,  they  must  become 
as  a  little  child.  Mary,  you  remember,  who  sat 
teachable  at  the  feet  of  her  Lord,  pleased  Him 
more  than  Martha,  who,  more  assertive,  thought 
she  knew  what  Jesus  wanted  without  asking  Him." 

"  That  reminds  me  of  a  dispute  I  once  heard, 
over  the  respective  merits  of  these  two  sisters," 
Charley  remarked. 

"  Which  do  you  think  most  of,  Mr.  Light- 
heart  ?  "  asked  Miss  Horton,  laughing  to  conceal 
her  eagerness. 

"  As  my  friend  Bloomfield  knows,  I  am  very 
fond  of  a  big  feed,  and  so  I  should  prefer  Martha 
before  dinner,  and  then  Mary  after  dinner,"  Char 
ley  replied,  trying  to  look  sober,  casting,  at  the 
same  time,  a  quizzical  glance  towards  Carrie  Hor 
ton. 

"  That's  just  like  a  man !  "  exclaimed  Miss  Hor 
ton  with  a  demure  little  pout. 

Charley  drew  a  long  breath  with  a  face  express- 


IN  THE   THORNTON  PARLORS.  277 


ing  such  an  odd  mixture  of  drollery  and  mystifica 
tion  that  a  general  laugh  ensued. 

"  Which,"  asked  Mr.  Thornton,  looking  at  me, 
"do  you  think  is  the  leading  motive  to  study, 
doubt  or  belief?  " 

"  I  should  say,  belief ;  for,  though  we  doubt 
when  the  foundations  of  a  supposed  truth  begin 
to  crumble,  we  still  believe  there  are  real  founda 
tions  somewhere,  or  we  would  not  study  to  find 
them.  The  sailor  drops  the  lead  of  inquiry  only 
when  he  believes  himself  in  hopeful  soundings. 
Belief,  also,  is  courageous  and  steady,  while  doubt 
is  uncertain  and  wavering." 

"  Yes,  but  I  was  thinking  of  those  who  believe 
a  dogma  to  be  true  merely  because  old,  but  I  fear 
even  there  doubt  would  not  lead  them  to  study; 
for  they  are  so  wed  to  custom,  that  they  prefer  to 
hug  the  shore  of  their  own  little  harbor,  though 
reeking  with  the  polluted  waters  of  tradition, 
rather  than  strike  out  for  an  independent  voyage 
of  discovery  on  the  great  ocean  of  Truth." 

"  Independent  thinkers  are  few,  friend  Thorn 
ton.  That  men  prefer  to  be  led,  rather  than  lead, 
you  will  notice  at  church,  when  the  congregation 
sometimes  does  not  rise  until  the  singing  of  the 
hymn  commences,  because  waiting  one  for  an 
other.  This  love  of  conformity  is  a  good  thing 
where  it  does  not  enslave  the  heart  and  brain,  and 
shut  up  one's  sympathies  and  thinking  within  cer 
tain  ruts,  as  it  did  the  Jews." 

"  But  there  the  trouble  lies,"  said  Miss  Thorn 
ton  thoughtfully.  "  The  moment  you  question 


278  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


inherited  ideas  the  unprogressives  assume  an  an 
tagonistic  attitude,  and  so  render  themselves  in 
capable  of  learning.  Only  a  few  days  ago  a  per 
son  in  my  hearing  expressed  a  fear  that  modern 
investigations  might  undermine  some  of  the  great 
truths  of  Christianity,  proving  that  it  was  not 
truth  that  he  loved,  but  what  he  had  been  accus 
tomed  to  regard  as  truth,  or  his  version  of  it.  If 
he  loved  the  truth,  he  should  be  glad  to  see  error 
uprooted  and  sloughed  off,  however  hard  to  give 
up  traditional  forms." 

"  Such  people  are  too  comfortably  settled  in 
their  ideas,"  added  Charley,  "to  like  to  be  dis 
turbed.  They  are  like  the  sluggard,  who  lies  abed 
till  the  sun  is  high  in  the  heavens,  because  it  re 
quires  a  little  sacrifice  to  get  out  of  a  warm  nest." 

"  Like  me  for  instance,"  said  Miss  Horton  gig 
gling,  and  Charley,  from  sympathy  or  politeness 
or  some  stronger  motive,  added  a  remark,  which 
made  us  all  merry  for  a  few  minutes,  but  the  dis 
cussion  wras  continued  a  few  minutes  longer. 

"  I  suppose,"  said  Miss  Thornton,  "  we  must 
hold  that  bigoted  people  are  conscientious,  and 
though  that  does  not  make  their  views  right,  is 
not  their  conscience  their  guide  as  well  as 
ours?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  replied,  but  there  is  a  question  back 
of  that — how  came  they  by  their  unenlightened 
conscience?  A  dark  conscience  may  justify  dark 
deeds." 

"  Should  not  a  person  obey  his  conscience,  good 
or  bad  ?  "  she  asked  again. 


IN  THE   THORNTON  PARLORS.  279 

"  What  else  can  he  do?  His  guilt  lies  not  in 
obeying  his  conscience,  but  perhaps  in  not  obey 
ing  it  in  previous  years.  His  prime  duty  is  to  be 
teachable  and  learn." 

"  Is  it  not  enough  to  be  conscientious?"  Miss 
Horton  ventured  to  ask. 

"  No,  not  enough.     We  need   to   be  intelligent, 

O  *_> 

keenly  sensitive  to  truth  and  goodness,  and  quick 
to  discern  them,  and  those  who  will  not  learn 
assume  a  fearful  responsibility." 

"  I  suppose,"  Mr.  Thornton  remarked,  "  it  is  be 
cause  religious  truth  is  of  so  grand  a  character,  so 
highly  important,  and  so  sacred,  that  gross  and 
belittling  conceptions  of  it  appear  so  repulsive. 
Only  think  of  the  hideous  religious  bigotry  that 
would  kill  a  man  to  save  his  soul,  so  often  exhib 
ited  towards  early  Protestantism  !  " 

"  Why  do  you  think,"  Charley  asked,  "  that 
these  perverted  consciences  have  not  always  been 
followed  studiously  and  faithfully?" 

"  There  is  nothing,"  I  answered,  ''  that  shrivels 
and  warps  the  conscience  like  disobedience  to  its 
still,  small  voice.  Some  minds,  by  continued  faith 
lessness,  have  became  so  crooked  that  no  truth 
can  get  into  them  without  being  twisted  beyond 
recognition  ;  and  others  are  conscientious  only 
in  spots  and  on  occasion,  and  therefore  exhibit 
Quixotic  notions  of  truth  and  transcendental 
behavior." 

"  Goethe  tells  us,"  said  Miss  Thornton,  "  'tis 
much  easier  to  meet  with  error  than  to  find  truth  ; 
error  is  on  the  surface,  truth  is  hidden  in  <rreat 


280  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


depths ;  and  the  way  to  seek  does  not  appear  to 
all  the  world." 

"  True,  Miss  Thornton,  but  people  lose  their 
way,  because  they  do  not  wait  and  watch  for  truth 
in  a  teachable  attitude  of  mind  ;  it  is  so  easy  to 
dismiss  an  objectionable  or  uncomfortable  idea 
without  patiently  and  prayerfully  listening  to 
what  it  has  to  say.  Jesus  says,  in  John  7:  17,  If 
any  man  will  (desires  to)  do  His  will,  he  shall 
know  of  the  doctrine.  It  is  faithful,  persistent, 
unprejudiced,  actual  seeking  that  finds." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THEODOCIA   THORNTON   AND    MYSELF. 

'"THE  large,  old-fashioned,  cuckoo  clock,  which 
stood  in  a  corner  of  the  rear  parlor  in  which 
we  were  sitting,  struck  the  hour  of  eight,  and  Mr. 
Thornton  said  : — 

"  It  is  hard  to  leave  this  feast  of  fat  things,  but 
I  hope  you  will  excuse  me  for  an  hour's  absence 
to  look  after  the  interests  of  poor  Polly  Durgin- 
Her  husband  was  of  little  worth  to  her  while  liv 
ing,  but  she  doubtless  feels  now,  that  if  he  could 
be  restored  to  her,  he  would  be  all  that  her  early 
imagination  had  pictured." 

\Yith  these  words  he  left,  and  I  remarked  to 
Miss  Thornton,  "  You  have  an  excellent  and 
true-hearted  brother,  and  I  find  myself  much 
drawn  to  him." 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  "  he  is  generous,  kind,  and 
true.  His  roughness  is  all  external,  like  the  out 
side  of  a  bird's  nest,  which,  you  know,  explains 
its  meaning  and  beauty  to  those  only  who  look 
inside." 

"  Your  beautiful  illustration,  Miss  Thornton, 
reminds  me  that  life  in  general  is  not  specially 
attractive,  until  we  find  its  meaning." 


282  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  That  will  account,  perhaps,  for  the  fact  that 
my  life  is  not  very  attractive  to  me." 

"  Why,  Miss  Thornton !  have  you  not  found 
the  meaning  of  your  life  yet  ?  " 

She  dropped  her  eyes,  and  then,  as  Charley  and 
Miss  Horton,  who  had  retired  to  the  front  parlor, 
commenced  a  duet  on  the  piano,  she  looked  up 
and  answered  pensively  : 

"  I  am  afraid  not,  but  I  would  like  so  much  to 
find  it." 

"  I  both  hope  and  believe  you  will ;  for,  as  a 
writer  has  well  said,  Life  is  so  beautiful  and  sym 
metrical  when  you  only  get  hold  of  the  right  clue. 
To  quarrel  with  one's  fate  is  not  to  understand 
it  ;  and  it  seems  to  me  you  have  so  much  to  be 
thankful  for,  so  much  to  live  for  !  " 

"  I  certainly  have  no  reason  to  quarrel  with 
mine,  so  far  as  money  and  friends  are  concerned, 
and  yet  I  am  not  content,  not  happy  as  I  should 
be,  if  I  knew  I  was  doing  the  work  assigned  me  to 
do.  Don't  you  think  "  (and  this  she  asked  with 
much  earnestness)  "  that  it  is  the  privilege  of  every 
one  to  know  he  or  she  is  fulfilling  a  mission  ?  " 

"  I  think  one  can  feel  sure  of  trying  to  do  it. 
Perhaps  you  are  looking  too  far  off  for  your  mis 
sion,  not  near  enough  to  your  home  and  surround 
ings.  A  mission  does  not  necessarily  imply  some 
great,  or  exceptional  thing.  If  it  did,  how  few  of 
us  could  have  a  mission  !  " 

"  I  have  done  but  little  more  than  manage  a 
household." 

"  If  you  have  done  that  so  well  that  you   have 


TIIEODOCfA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.       283 

made  home  happy,  as  I  know  you  have,  and  in 
spired  your  servants  to  lift  up  their  minds  and 
hearts  towards  a  better  life,  you  have  had  a  mis 
sion." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say,  Professor  Bloomfield, 
that  there  is  a  God-given  mission  in  doing  neces 
sary,  every-day  duties  ?  " 

"  I  do.  There  is,  or  should  be,  a  heavenward 
end  to  even  the  commonest,  secular  duties. 
Whether  a  mission  is  noble  or  not  depends  on  the 
spirit  one  puts  into  it.  In  God's  eyes  it  is  not  so 
much  what  we  do,  as  how  we  do  it." 

"  Yes,  but  my  work  is  so  transient,  so  ephem 
eral  ! 

"  Even  a  cup  of  cold  water,  given  to  the  thirsty 
with  a  loving  spirit,  is  an  act  that  can  never  die. 
On  the  other  hand,  the  greatest  deed  done  with 
out  soul,  without  love,  perishes,  so  far  as  the  doer 
of  the  deed  is  concerned.  So,  Miss  Thornton, 
3'our  work  may  outlive  that  of  those  you  now  feel 
inclined  to  envy." 

"I  low  can  I  do  the  commonplace  things  of  a 
housekeeper,  Professor  Bloomfield,  and  feel  that 
I  am  doing  an  immortal  work?" 

"  Well,  you  can  dignify,  and  even  glorify,  house 
keeping  by  looking  upon  it  with  the  eye  of  a 
Christian  artist,  and  love  it  so  much  that  you  can 
not  but  be  cheerful  and  happy,  and  make  others 
cheerful  and  happy  also.  You  may  turn  even  the 
humdrum  of  every-day  life  into  poetry,  though 
you  cannot  write  it,  and  feel  that  you  are  sweeten 
ing  life,  your  own  and  others,  and  doing  somet  Jiing 


284  S//SPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


towards  character-building,  which  shall  last  for 
ever.  The  drudge  and  slave  is  one  who  does  her 
work  mechanically,  without  heart,  and  thus  brings 
discomfort  to  herself  and  those  with  whom  she 
comes  in  contact." 

"  I  feel  deeply  the  force  and  beauty  of  your 
words,  Professor  Bloomfield,  and  can  see  the  great 
amount  of  self-victory  required  to  fill  even  the 
humblest  sphere  aright ;  but  I  feel  the  weight  of 
other  and  new  responsibilities,  the  responsibilities 
which  accompany  the  possession  of  a  fair  amount 
of  wealth.  I  wish  to  do  the  best  possible  service 
with  it ;  and  yet  I  have  had  the  control  of  my 
property  nearly  a  year  without  learning  what  my 
mission  with  it  is." 

There  was  a  tremor  in  her  voice,  and  I  saw  she 
was  feeling  more  than  her  words  indicated.  Too 
self-depreciating,  I  thought,  and  tried  to  reassure 
her. 

"You  have  done  more  good,  Miss  Thornton, 
than  you  think  ;  for  I  know  you  have  not  failed 
to  do  the  nearest  duties,  and  the  little  charities, 
as -they  have  been  made  known  to  you,  to  say 
nothing  of  the  delightful  home  you  have  made  for 
all  dwellers  under  your  roof,  transient  or  per 
manent." 

"  I  have  done  all  these  so  far  as  I  know,  and 
helped  make  up  deficiencies,  and  replenish  empty 
treasuries  ;  but  I  would  like  to  do  a  more  special 
and  distinctive  work,  where  I  could  see  the  good 
effects  springing  up  about  me,  and  know  it  to  be 
a  needed  work." 


THKODOCIA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      285 

"  Have  you  an  idea,  Miss  Thornton,  of  the  kind 
of  work  you  feel  called  upon  to  do?" 

"  Only  in  a  nebulous  way.  I  need  some  one  to 
draw  pictures  for  me.  When  the  right  one  is 
portrayed,  I  should  recognize  it,  I  think.  What 
would  you  do  with  wealth,  Professor  Bloom- 
field  ?  " 

"  That  is  a  puzzling  question,  Miss  Thornton, 
for  no  one  really  knows  what  he  would  do  in  cer 
tain  circumstances,  until  actually  placed  there ; 
but  I  have  thought,  for  the  past  year,  especially, 
if  I  had  wealth,  I  would  do  something  in  the  spirit 
of  Robert  Falconer.  It  might  not  resemble  his 
work  very  closely,  in  fact  might  differ  largely  from 
it  ;  but  I  would  do  something  wherein  I  could  be 
certain  I  was  doing  a  practical  and  needed  work 
neglected  by  others,  and  doing  it  not  from  worldly 
ambition.  It  wrould  be  so  sweet  to  know,  by  dem 
onstration,  that  it  was  pure  Christian  benevo 
lence  with  no  selfish  motive  in  it.  Have  you  pead 
Robert  Falconer  ?  " 

"  I  have,  and,  strange  to  say,  I  have  been  think 
ing  about  the  book  to-day  in  connection  with  your 
suggestion  of  endowing  a  professorship  of  Chris 
tian  Living,  or  Character-building,  and  have 
queried  if  the  two  ideas  could  not  be  combined  ; 
but  I  am  not  able  to  formulate  just  what  is  proper 
and  right  for  me,  as  a  woman,  to  do." 

"  Some  one  has  said  that  all  things  come  round 
to  him  who  will  but  wait." 

"  Yes,  come  round  to  ///;;/,  but  will  they  come 
round  to  Jicrt  It  seems  to  be  woman's  part  to 


286  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


wait  and  to  watch,  in  the  tragedy  of  life,  till  it 
is  too  late  to  do,  perhaps,  and  then  die  broken 
hearted,  when  she  might  have  been  so  happy  in 
inaugurating,  or  helping  to  inaugurate,  and  carry 
forward,  the  work  she  felt  inwardly  called  upon 
to  do!" 

She  spoke  almost  pathetically,  and  stopped  sud 
denly,  blushing  deeply  as  if  having  betrayed  a 
secret.  I  quoted  the  following  lines: 

" '  Nothing  is  late 

In  the  light  that  shines  forever.' 

"  Waiting  may  be  a  necessary  preparation,  and, 
therefore,  an  essential  part  of  your  mission,  and, 
whether  you  enter  on  your  actual  work  or  not, 
will  count  on  the  credit  side  of  your  character  in 
the  light  that  shines  forever.  Work  intended,  if 
hindered  by  no  fault  of  ours,  is  work  done." 

"  That  is  some  comfort  certainly,  yes,  every 
thing  to  one  cut  off  in  the  midst  of  preparation  ; 
and,  yet,  how  hard  it  is  to  be  deprived  of  the  hap 
piness,  as  well  as  the  privilege,  which  comes  from 
having  all  the  energies  of  mind  and  heart  employed 
in  a  loved  and  longed-for  service  !  " 

"  True,  but  think  of  the  grateful  woman,  who, 
not  knowing  what  else  she  could  do,  brought  sim 
ply  a  box  of  costly  ointment  to  one  she  loved. 
She  did  what  she  could,  and  that  was  enough  in 
her  Lord's  eyes.  Her  holy  purpose  magnified  the 
little  act,  and  glorified  her  spirit  for  time  and  eter 
nity." 

"  Yes,  Professor  Bloomfield,  but  I  am  not  doing 


TI1RODOCIA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      287 


what  I  might,  what  I  very  much  desired,  and  what 
I  could  and  would  do,  if— 

She  trembled  as  she  spoke,  and  left  the  sen 
tence  incomplete,  and  I  noticed,  as  I  had  not  be 
fore,  how  tender  and  delicate  was  the  flesh  which 
enwrapt  her  spirit — so  delicate  that  the  latter 
seemed  to  shine  through  it. 

''  May  I  ask,"  I  said,  with  genuine  sympathy, 
"  what  hinders  you  from  commencing  where  the 
light  is  clear,  and  letting  the  work  grow  on  your 
hands,  as  the  way  opens  and  duty  is  revealed  to 
you  ?  " 

She  hesitated,  blushed,  and  looked  for  her  fan, 
and  rose,  and  went  towards  the  front  parlor  as  if 
in  search  for  it,  but  really,  I  thought,  to  make 
sure  what  I  already  knew,  that  Charley  and  Miss 
Ilorton  were  not  there,  but  out  on  the  veranda, 
wholly  engrossed  in  each  other's  company.  As 
she  came  back,  the  following  lines  came  involun 
tarily  into  my  mind  : 

"Such  harmony  in  motion,  speech  and  air, 
That  without  fairness  she  was  more  than  fair." 

She  sat  down  in  great  agitation,  covering  her 
face  as  much  as  possible  with  her  fan,  which  she 
had  picked  up,  and  which  she  used  somewhat  vig 
orously. 

"  In  answer  to  your  question,"  she  said,  at 
length,  "  the  work  seems  unsuitable  for  a  woman 
alone  and  too  rough,  especially  for  me.  I  need  a 
guide  and  helper." 

"  I    should    think,   Miss    Thornton,  many  men 


288  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


could  be  found,  who  would  be  only  too  glad  to 
help  carry  out  your  ideas." 

"  Perhaps  so,"  she  said,  with  downcast  eyes, 
"  but  the  more  I  have  thought  of  employing  a 
missionary,  the  more  difficulties  I  have  found, 
because  I  wish  to  engage  in  the  work  myself." 

"  Could  you  not  do  that?"  I  asked  innocently. 

"  I  do  not  see  my  way  clear,"  she  answered 
slowly.  "  Whoever  enters  upon  the  work  must 
be  closely  identified  with  it,  and — and — -with  me." 

"Yes?"  said  I,  not  yet  seeing  the  obstacle  in 
her  way.  She  must  have  thought  me  dull ;  for 
she  raised  her  dark  eyes  to  mine  inquiringly,  and 
then  looked  down,  twirled  her  fan  nervously,  and, 
as  I  thought,  looked  beautiful  in  her  perplexity; 
or  was  it  because,  as  the  poet  puts  it, — 

"  All  tihngs  are  beautiful, 

Because  of  something  lovelier  than  themselves, 
Which  breathes  within  them,  and  will  never  die  ? " 

What  that  something  was,  which  had  trans 
formed  and  transfigured  her,  was  not  apparent  to 
me,  unless  it  was  the  all-animating  mind  exahed 
by  a  noble  purpose  struggling  anew  towards  the 
light,  and  fast  gaining  the  supreme  mastery.  She 
looked  almost  ethereal  as  she  sat  there,  the  flesh 
scarcely  veiling  the  sensitive  soul,  which  seemed 
ready  to  break  through  every  feature  and  linea 
ment  of  her  countenance. 

"  If  I  were  differently  constituted,"  she  pres 
ently  said,  "  the  matter  might  be  more  easily 
arranged.  The  person  I  need  must  not  only  be 


THEODOCIA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      289 


adapted  to  the  work,  but  to  my  purpose  and  ways. 
He  must  be  more  like  the  sun  than  the  north 
wind.  A  rough,  steam-engine  sort  of  a  person, 
however  good  and  useful  in  his  place,  would  not 
do.  The  energy  I  enjoy  and  believe  in,  is  that 
which  comes  through  gentleness  and  refinement, 
and  great  elevation  of  mind.  Besides,  I  want  to 
feel  that  this  person's  heart  is  as  deeply  in  the 
work,  at  least,  as  mine,  and  so  identified  with  it 
and  with  me  that  what  he  does  I  do,  my  better 
self  sanctioning  every  movement  of  his.  I  want 
to  have  so  much  confidence,  and  something  akin 
to  pride  in  him,  as  my  spiritual  interpreter  and 
representative,  that,  whether  I  am  in  this  world  or 
the  next,  I  shall  know  that  the  work  is  going  on 
better  than  I  could  execute  or  devise  myself.  In 
fact,  I  want  to  feel  that  I,  in  my  better  moods, 
and  most  exalted  ideals  of  love  and  duty,  am 
working  through  him  and  by  him — in  short,  that 
we  are  one  in  mind  and  heart,  in  thought  and  pur 
pose,  so  that  I  could  take  more  comfort  in  his 
receiving  even  heavenly  honors,  as  the  better 
expression  of  my  personality,  than  I  could  in 
eceiving  them  myself." 

As  she  ceased  speaking,  her  face  was  almost 
glorious  to  behold,  having  evidently  been  carried 
beyond  herself  by  her  mental  pictures,  and  as  she 
came  back  to  self-consciousness,  her  face  became 
covered  with  blushes. 

"  Do    you  expect    to   find   such  a  person  in  this 
imperfect  world  ?  "  I  as^<:d,  with  mingled  perplex 
ity  and  deep  interest. 
19 


290 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Not  again,"  she  answered  with  a  little  un 
conscious  sigh. 

"  Then  you  have  met  him  ?  "  I  asked  with  as 
much  of  an  exclamation-point  in  my  voice,  per 
haps,  as  of  interrogation. 

The  color  came  and  went  in  her  fair  cheeks 
before  the  reply  came,  slowly,  modestly,  but 
earnestly  : 

"  Yes,  I  have  met  one,  and  only  one,  in  all  my 
life,  who  comes  up  to  my  ideal,  and  he  goes  just 
enough  beyond  it  to  make  it  round,  full,  com 
plete." 

"  Is  it  possible?"  I  said  in  great  astonishment. 
"  And  does  he  know  of  your  great  esteem  ?  " 

"  I  think  not,"  she  replied  softly  and  with  down 
cast  eyes. 

"Why  do  you  not  tell  him?"  was  my  next 
question. 

"  Because,"  she  answered  with  a  faint  smile, 
"  it  is  not  the  custom  for  a  lady  to  tell  a  gentle 
man  what  she  thinks  of  him  before  she  knows 
what  he  thinks  of  her." 

"  True,  it  is  not  the  custom,  but  your  position, 
wealth,  and  noble  life-plan  give  you  an  advantage 
over  custom,  to  say  nothing  of  the  right  of  mere 
custom  to  seal  the  lips  and  blast  the  life  of  any 
woman." 

Her  eyes  had  a  new  light  in  them  as  she  looked 
up  and  asked  : 

"  Would  a  man  respect  a  woman  who  laid  bare 
her  mind  and  heart  to  him  unasked  ?  " 

"  Respect!     If  he  failed  to,  he  certainly  would 


TJJKODOCJA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      291 

not    be    entitled  to  your  respect,  much  less  any 
thing  more." 

"  I  have  heard,"  she  said,  "  that  Dr.  -  — ,  a 
noted  preacher  of  Boston,  sent  this  sharp  answer 
to  a  lady,  who  had  offered  him  her  money  with 
her  hand  and  heart  :  '  Give  your  heart  to  the  Lord, 
your  money  to  the  church,  and  your  hand  to  the 
man  who  asks  it.'  " 

"  Yes,  Miss  Thornton,  I  have  heard  that  story, 
and  I  confess  I  have  never  thought  so  well  of  him 
since,  though  it  may  be  claimed,  in  apology,  that 
he  belonged  to  the  old  school  of  ideas  on  that 
point,  and,  further,  that  she  really  had  no  heart  to 
give,  or  that  the  circumstances  might  have  been 
provoking  ;  but  I  cannot  conceive  how  a  real  gen 
tleman  can  treat  harshly  the  admiration  or  devo 
tion  of  a  true  woman.  He  is  certainly  not  my 
idea  of  a  man  who  could  be  otherwise  than  con 
siderate  and  kindly  compassionate,  even  where 
unable  to  reciprocate  either  affection  or  admira 
tion." 

"  Your  words  only  confirm  what  I  believed 
before,  that  you  could  not  be  otherwise  than  ap 
preciative  and  thoughtful  for  others  ;  but  even 
you,  Professor  Bloomfield,  do  not  know  what 
effect  a  declaration  of  love  would  have  on  you." 

She  looked  at  me  inquiringly,  with  a  sweet, 
pathetic  smile,  and  then  continued: 

1  While  it  may  be  the  custom  of  queens  to 
propose  to  their  intended  consorts,  and  while  it 
may  be  proper  for  ladies  of  lower  stations  in  life, 
the  question  of  love  is  so  vital,  so  awfully  sacred, 


J292 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


I  dare  not  say  what  may  be  a  fatal  word  to  all  my 
plans." 

"You  have  perfect  confidence  in  him?" 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  with  cheeks  aglow,  "  but 
I  fear  to  break  the  charm  of  uncertainty.  So 
long  as  I  do  not  break  the  secret,  I  may  hope, 
with  whatever  is  not  wrongly  akin  to  silent  wor 
ship,  that  if  we  cannot  devise  and  plan  together, 
I  may  induce  him  to  take  my  work  upon  himself 
and  carry  it  forward  alone  or  with  some  more  fitting 
companion.  If  he  is  happy,  I  shall  try  to  be  con 
tent.  If  I  knew  the  telling  would  not  substitute 
self-consciousness  in  place  of  freedom  in  our  social 
and,  I  hope,  future  business  relations,  or  in  any 
way  mar  the  pleasure  of  true  friendship,  and  thus 
the  success  of  my  life-plan,  there  should  not  be 
a  corner  of  my  mind  or  heart  that  I  would  not 
reveal  to  him,  though  I  have  not  known  him 
long  by  clock-time — years,  however,  by  heart 
throbs." 

That  last  expression  recalled  vividly  the  won 
derful  similarity  of  my  own  experience  in  the 
society  of  Ethel  Blentwood,  and  my  sympathies 
were  much  moved.  She  went  on  : 

"  You  have  my  confidence  so  thoroughly,  Prof. 
Bloomfield,  it  will  lighten  the  burden  of  tumult 
uous  feeling,  which  has  become  oppressive  for 
want  of  expression,  if  I  tell  you  more.  The  first 
time  I  met  this  man  he  impressed  me  as  thor 
oughly  honest,  true  and  good,  on  whom  one  could 
lean  without  the  shadow  of  a  doubt  or  misgiving, 
and  all  I  learned  of  him  through  friends  only  con- 


TIIEODOCIA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      293 

firmed  my  faith  and  increased  my  admiration,  and 
lately,  having  been  thrown  more  into  his  company, 
his  lovable  disposition  and  congenial  ways  have 
Avon  me,  and  won  me  until  I  have  waked  up  to  the 
consciousness  that  I  love  him  with  all  the  inten 
sity  of  my  being.  I  should  not  have  allowed  my 
heart  to  go  out  to  one  who  had  not  asked  my 
love,  but,  fight  against  it  as  I  might,  I  could  not 
help  it  ;  and  my  mission  waits.  Every  man  who 
has  sought  me  has  disclosed  some  coarseness  or 
narrowness  of  mind,  which  has  made  me  uncom 
fortable.  Though  it  is  said  that  the  tough  rind 
may  cover  something  soft  within,  such  a  rind 
gives  me  too  much  pain  to  enjoy  the  softness. 
But  this  man,  who  has  not  sought  me,  soothes 
and  comforts  me  by  his  very  presence,  flooding 
all  my  sensibilities  like  a  congenial  sunshine  ush 
ering  in  a  sweet  June  morning.  Besides,  he  draws 
all  my  goodness  to  the  top  and  puts  me  at  my 
best,  and  I  am  sure,  in  his  presence,  I  should  be 
kept  there,  growing  better  and  nobler  as  time 
wore  away.  And  then,  again,  his  conversation  is 
so  helpful !  I  could  listen  to  him  without  a 
thought  of  food,  as  Mary  did  at  the  feet  of  One 
she  also  loved." 

"  Miss  Thornton  !  "  I  exclaimed,  half  rising  in 
my  astonishment,  "  such  love  as  yours  is  worth 
more  to  any  true  man  than  all  the  gold  and  silver 
in  the  world  !  It  is  not  difficult  to  find  a  wife 
who  may  give  an  easy-going  affection,  but  such 
fervid,  all-controlling,  worshipful  devotion  is  a  rare 
and  priceless  gift,  for  which  any  man  would  do  well 


294  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  sacrifice  everything  except  loyalty  to  God  and 
his  own  conscience.  Let  two  persons  mutually 
qualified  give  each  to  the  other  such  a  love  as 
that,  and  what  a  heaven !  I  can  only  wonder 
who  can  be  so  fortunate  as  to  command  such 
devotion,  and  from  one  so  noble  as  yourself.  I 
have  never  met  but  one  person  heretofore  worthy 
of  so  great  admiration  and  love,  and  that  person 
is  a  woman,  and  to  be  frank  with  you  as  you  have 
been  with  me,  do  you  know  that  you  have  almost 
exactly  described  my  estimate  of  her  and  my 
present  attitude  towards  her.  I  cannot  but  think 
what  an  infinite  blessing  it  would  be  to  have  all  the 
treasures  of  hope  and  reverence  and  love  lying  in 
her  great  and  pure  soul,  given  to  me  as  freely  and 
fully  as  you  give  those  lying  in  you  to  the  man 
of  your  choice  !  But  I  am  unworthy  of  so  great 
a  love  from  so  great  a  source.  She  is  too  good 
for  me  to  hope,  and  yet,  strange  to  say,  I  do 
hope —  Miss  Thornton  !  what  is  the  matter  ?  " 
I  exclaimed  in  the  midst  of  my  sentence,  spring 
ing  towards  her,  as  her  head  fell  back,  pale  and 
lifeless. 

"  Are  you  faint  ?  What  can  I  do  for  you  ?  " 
A  low  murmur  \vas  all  the  response  I  got,  and, 
placing  her  quickly  on  a  sofa,  and  snatching  a 
goblet  of  water  near  at  hand,  I  bathed  her  face 
and  temples,  and  was  on  the  point  of  rushing  out 
to  find  a  servant,  who  might  know  better  than  I 
what  to  do,  when  she  revived  somewhat  and 
opened  her  eyes  with  a  half-conscious  smile,  so 
feeble,  yet  so  sweet  and  winsome,  that,  had  I 


THEODOC1A    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      295 


been  a  girl,  I  should  have  kissed  her,  and  came 
very  near  it  as  it  was  !  That  pathetic  look  !  I 
shall  never  forget  it. 

"  You  dear  girl  !  Am  I  doing  all  that  is  neces 
sary  ?  "  I  asked  anxiously. 

"  Yes,"  she  faintly  whispered,  almost  inarticu 
lately,  and  closed  her  eyes,  like  one  in  the  peaceful 
enjoyment  of  needed  rest,  satisfied  that  she  was 
being  cared  for.  Sensitive  soul  !  I  thought, 
needing  a  very  delicate,  protecting  love  to 
shield  her  from  the  rough  contact  of  a.  blustering 
world. 

When  able  to  sit  up,  she  apologized  by  saying, 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  this  episode  ;  I  find  I 
am  not  strong  lately,  and  then  again,"  she  added, 
trying  bravely  to  smile,  as  if  she  would  jest,  "  it 
may  have  been  a  little  too  hard  for  me  to  look 
into  the  happiness  you  were  picturing,  as  lost  to 
me." 

"  No,  not  lost,"  I  said,  hopefully.  "  You  will 
find  it,  if  that  man,  you  delight  to  honor,  ever 
learns,  as  learn  he  must,  if  you  will  give  me  any 
clue  with  which  to  identify  him,  what  an  appre 
ciative,  loyal  prize  he  has  in  you." 

"  Impossible  !  "  she  said,  her  eyes  moistening. 

"Impossible?"  I  repeated.  "That  is  a  harsh 
word." 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  with  a  suppressed  sigh, 
"  but,  strange  as  it  may  appear  to  you,  the  truth 
has  suddenly  flashed  upon  me  like  a  revelation, 
that  his  heart  belongs  to  another.  While  you 
were  speaking,  a  sentence,  uttered  by  him,  came 


296  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


into  my  mind,  revealing  that  fact  but  too  plainly. 
Until  that  moment,  I  had  a  floating,  glimmering 
hope  of  an  active,  personal  mission  for  good  ;  but 
from  this  hour  dates  the  death  of  all  that." 

She  covered  her  eyes  with  her  handkerchief, 
and  sobbed  convulsively.  My  sympathies  were 
so  aroused  I  could  not  speak  for  a  moment,  and 
could  only  express  them  by  pressing  her  unem 
ployed  hand.  As  soon  as  the  lump  in  my  throat 
would  allow,  I  said  : 

"  I  am  glad  you  can  cry,  Miss  Thornton  ;  you 
will  feel  better  for  it.  The  pent-up  heart  can 
only  find  relief  by  expression.  Let  not  my  pres 
ence  restrain  in  the  least  the  flow  of  tears  ;  for 
there  is,  perhaps,  no  one,  not  even  the  one  you 
love,  who  is  in  just  the  condition  to  sympathize 
with  you  so  thoroughly  as  I  am.  I  hope,  how 
ever,"  I  added,  as  she  grew  calm,  and  her  thank 
ful  eyes  met  mine,  "  that  your  revelation  is  not 
final.  His  love  for  another  may  be  a  mere  fancy, 
and  when  he  knows  of  the  wealth  of  affection  he 
has  in  you,  his  heart  may  fly  from  that  other  to 
you  in  spite  of  himself,  and  with  the  other's  con 
sent." 

"  That  cannot  be,"  she  replied,  gravely  ;  "  for 
his  judgment  is  too  correct  to  mistake,  and  his 
heart  too  loyal  to  forsake  the  nest  it  has  made 
and  warmed  in  the  breast  of  another ;  and  I  can 
not  believe  any  girl,  good  enough  to  command 
his  love,  can  fail  to  cling  to  him  till  death.  Let 
your  own  experience  convince  you,  Piofessor 
Bloomfield.  You  could  not  withdraw  your  heart 


THKODOCIA   THORNTON  AND  MYSELF.      297 


from  the  one  you  love,  although  not  quite  certain 
that  your  feelings  are  reciprocated." 

"  Too  true,  Miss  Thornton,  my  affections  must 
go  on  without  wavering,  steady  to  the  home  they 
seek,  unless  they  find  the  door  shut  against  them, 
and  are  turned  away  homeless." 

"  That  is  what  I  knew  you  would  say,  Professor 
Bloomfield,  and  I  esteem  you  for  the  frankness 
with  which  you  assert  it." 

I  had  no  suspicion  who  the  loved  one  was,  and 
asked,  "  Am  I  to  infer,  then,  that  you  have  given 
up  all  expectations  of  having  your  affections 
met  ?  " 

"  Yes,  completely." 

"  Does  the  thought  make  you  miserable?" 

"  Not  now.  The  pang  from  loss  of  hope  was 
sharp,  cutting  like  a  knife  until  all  selfishness 
died  within  me,  and  now  I  am  beginning  to  find 
a  pleasure  in  giving  up  ;  and  I  shall  be  happy  in 
his  happiness  and  usefulness,  to  both  of  which  I 
hope  to  contribute,  and  that  will  be  a  great  com 
fort  to  me." 

"  Yours  is  a  generous  and  noble  nature,  Miss 
Thornton,  and  I  cannot  but  feel  that  that  man's 
loss,  whoever  he  is,  is  greater  than  yours.  You 
are  worthy  of  the  best  man  living,  and  if  the  one 
you  love  is  lost  to  you,  there  must  be  another 
somewhere  as  good  and  true,  and  probably  bet 
ter  calculated  to  meet  your  wants,  and  when 
Providence  sends  him,  you  will  love  again." 

"  Can  the  full-blown  rose  shut  up  and  be  a  bud 
acrain  ?  " 


298  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  No,  Miss  Thornton,  but  the  water-lily  shuts 
up,  when  the  day  leaves  it  to  darkness  and  sleep, 
and  when  another  new  day  comes,  it  is  won  open 
again  to  gladden  the  beholder  with  a  loveliness 
all  its  own,  fresh  and  beautiful  as  before." 

"  I  know  what  you  say  comes  from  the  kind 
ness  of  your  heart,  Professor  Bloomfield,  but  the 
thought  is  distasteful  to  me.  I  have  not  the 
slightest  hope,  or  wish,  to  love  again." 

"  Forgive  my  blundering.  All  I  can  say,  then, 
is,  that  it  is  better  to  be  a  rose  than  always  a  bud 
— in  other  words,  better  to  have  loved  and  lost 
than  not  to  have  loved  at  all." 

"  I  think  I  understand  your  meaning,  and  am 
content,  though,  loving  the  good,  my  love  is  not 
lost.  I  am  richer  and  better  for  having  found, 
esteemed,  and  loved  a  perfect  human  ideal  ;  it 
makes  heaven  seem  nearer,  and  the  ultimate 
triumph  of  good  more  possible.  When  it  flashed 
upon  me  that  we  could  never  work  side  by  side 
as  one,  I  felt  that  death,  in  its  worst  form,  had 
come  to  me  ;  but  in  the  past  hour  I  have  lived 
years  !  and  God  has  shown  me  that  it  is  even 
better  as  it  is.  If  I  am  not  to  last  long,  it  will  be 
easier,  and  interfere  less  with  his  mission,  to  part 
as  we  are,  than  if  our  relations  were  something 
nearer  and  dearer  than  friendship.  Now,  all  I 
ask  is,  that  I  may  live  long  enough  to  discharge 
my  obligations  for  the  property  at  my  disposal, 
and  then  I  will  go  willingly,  satisfied  that  he  will 
be  happy  in  the  love  of  another,  and  probably 
more  useful  ;  and  the  thought  that  I  may  be  of 


TIIEODOCIA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF. 


299 


some  secret  service  to  him  and  the  great  Over- 
Soul,  gives  me  unspeakable  delight.  It  is  so 
much  more  happiness  than  I  deserve!" 

"  Miss  Thornton,"  I  said,  with  much  feeling, 
"  there  is  a  heavenly  light  in  your  countenance, 
which  convinces  me  that  you  have  found  the  joy 
that  lies  in  self-sacrifice." 

"  Yes,"  she  answered,  with  sweet,  tender  pathos, 
and  a  depth  of  holy  peace  looking  out  from  under 
her  eyelashes,  "  I  am  unexpectedly  and  greatly 
blest  in  giving  up.  I  see  now,  clearly,  that  is 
what  life  means  to  me,  and  I  know  that  it  is  not 
only  blessed  to  give,  but  blessed  to  give  up. 
Truly,  all  things  work  together  for  good  to  them 
that  love  God." 

"  How  about  your  life-plan?" 

"  I  am  convinced  God  will  permit  me  to  so  leave 
it,  that  it  will  be  carried  out  better  by  another 
than  by  myself." 

"  Would  you  not  love  to  see  your  work  growing 
up  under  your  own  eyes  ?  " 

"  That  would  be  very  pleasant  in  certain  cir 
cumstances;  but  God  knows  His  own  business 
best,  and  I  am  content  to  see  at  last  what  my 
mission  is,  and  to  do  it." 

"  You  have  already  accomplished  a  mission  of 
good  to  me,  Miss  Thornton,  and  if  the  occasion 
comes  to  require  it,  as  it  may,  I  shall  try  hard  to 
imitate  your  beautiful  example  of  Christian  re 
signation.  But  really,  Miss  Thornton,  is  there 
any  clear  foundation  for  your  belief  in  a  short 
life?" 


300  SHJPS  BY  DAY. 


"  It  is  a  case  of  sudden  intuition,  or  revelation, 
better  felt  than  explained,  and  I  see  the  hand  of 
Providence  quite  plainly  making  the  way  easy 
for  me."  She  spoke  with  an  expression  of  rapt 
urous  enthusiasm  softened  by  a  pathetic  sweet 
ness  of  voice. 

"  The  world  can  illy  afford  to  lose  you,  and 
now  that  we  have  become  so  well  acquainted, 
and  I  am  so  much  interested  in  you,  I  cannot 
bear  the  thought.  Do  you  know  that  you  re 
mind  me  in  many  ways  of  one  I  have  thought 
the  very  best  in  the  world  ?  " 

"  By  way  of  contrast?  "  she  asked,  smiling. 

"  No,  by  similarity.  Spiritually  and  in  frank 
ness  and  transparency  of  motive  you  are  both  at 
one.  There  is  also,  in  common  with  you  both,  a 
timidity,  a  sensitive  delicacy,  a  clinging  tender 
ness,  and  yet,  a  practical  common-sense,  coupled 
with  a  depth  and  strength  of  principle,  which 
would  not  slacken  the  performance  of  any  clear 
duty,  however  disagreeable." 

"  You  do  me  great  honor,  and  I  am  very,  very 
grateful  for  your  appreciation.  I  have  talked 
freely  beyond  my  intention,  because — because — 
well,  one  thing,  because  you  are  one  of  the  few 
men  with  whom  a  woman  can  feel  perfectly  free, 
and  confidential,  without  the  least  admixture  of 
doubt,  or  fear  of  being  misunderstood."  And 
then  she  added,  with  a  touch  of  girlish  animation, 
"  I  am  glad  I  have  talked,  and  now  shall  we  not 
be  strong  friends  as  long  as  we  live  ?  " 

She  extended    her  lily-white  hand  rather  play- 


'1HKODOCIA    THORNTON  AND  MYSELF      301 


fully   for    my   pledge,   and,   grasping    it    in    both 
hands,  I  answered  cordially  : 

"  If  it  rests  with  me,  we  will  most  certainly,  and 
I  shall  count  it  one  of  the  greatest  privilege"  <of 
my  life." 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

CARRIE    HORTON   AND    CHARLEY. 

A  T  this  point  in  our  conversation,  Mr.  Thorn- 
**  ton  entered  the  room,  and  was  soon  followed 
by  Charley  Lightheart  and  Carrie  Horton.  The 
latter  saucy-eyed,  full  of  mirthful  exuberance, 
filled  the  room  with  the  noisy  effervescence  of 
her  pleasure,  and  put  an  end  to  all  seriousness. 
Charley,  too,  with  his  explosive  warmth  of  heart 
and  love  of  fun,  was  soon  aroused,  and  filled  the 
social  air,  now  with  fleecy  crystals  of  wit,  and 
now  with  irridescent  sparkles  of  mock  sentiment, 
till  every  one  was  shaking  with  irrepressible 
laughter. 

It  was  late  before  Miss  Horton  arose  to  go, 
and,  when  she  did,  I  noticed  she  had  a  lithe  figure 
and  a  buoyant  step,  and  I  tried  to  fathom  the 
mystery  of  Charley's  liking  for  her.  She  was  not 
handsome,  or  possessed  of  much  depth  of  mind, 
but  she  had  a  fairly  attractive  face,  that  could 
look  very  good  and  innocent,  and  a  vivacity  of 
expression,  and  piquant  gesture  and  snap  of  the 
eyes,  which  were  stimulating  to  a  mind  like 
Charley's,  freeing  him  from  that  natural  restraint 

he  felt  in  the  presence  of  quiet,  reserved  ladies. 
302 


CRRRIE  HO R TON  AND  CHARLEY.  303 

Although  she  could  not  talk  on  any  subject 
requiring  more  than  superficial  thought,  she  was 
quick  to  catch  any  occult  meaning,  in  conversa 
tion,  which  she  could  turn  into  her  familiar  line 
of  favorite  topics,  where  she  felt  at  home  ;  and, 
\vhile  she  was  waiting  and  watching  to  do  this, 
she  gave  the  impression  of  listening  intelligently, 
and  that  she  only  turned  the  conversation  from 
an  irrepressible  love  of  the  unexpected  and  ridicu 
lous. 

Charley  accompanied  her  home,  only  a  short 
distance  away,  which,  however,  he  made  long  ny 
either  walking  very  slow,  or  taking  a  good 
deal  of  time  in  saying  good-bye  on  the  door-step. 
When  he  returned,  after  a  lew  jests  at  his  expense, 
we  retired  for  the  ni^ht. 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

BREAKFAST. 

'""THE  next  morning  was  cloudy  and  cold  for  the 
season,  and  the  open  fire  in  the  dining-room 
was  a  cheering  and  welcome  sight. 

"  An  open  fire  is  a  means  of  grace  in  weather 
like  this,"  I  said,  after  table  manners  were  over, 
preliminary  to  our  morning  meal.  "  It  not  only 
takes  the  chill  from  the  nerves,  but  imparts  its 
warmth  and  glow  to  the  spirit."' 

"  A  hint  for  good  housekeeping,  and  domestic 
tranquillity,"  Charley  remarked,  looking  up  slyly. 

"  You  think  it  might  often  prevent  domestic 
quarrels,  I  suppose,  Mr.  Lightheart,"  observed 
Miss  Thornton,  and  then  added  archly,  "  The 
responsibility  in  such  matters  rests  wholly  with 
the  lady,  of  course,  and  not  at  all  with  the  lord !  " 

"  Certainly,"  Charley  answered  soberly ;  "  if  I 
am  ever  a  domestic  bear,  it  will  be  because  of  my 
wife's  mismanagement  of  me.  If  she  allows  the 
damp  weather  to  get  into  my  disposition  by 
neglecting  the  fire-place,  ct  cetera,  it,  of  course, 
will  be  her  fault,  for  it  will  be  her  duty  to  see  that 
I  am  always  kept  serene  and  in  a  blissful  mood." 

I  was  glad  to  see  Miss  Thornton  laugh,  and 
3°4 


BREAKFAST. 


3°5 


therefore  asked,  "  When  there  is  no  one  to  build 
the  fire  except  yourself,  Charley,  what  will  pre 
vent  the  appearance  of  the  domestic  bear?  " 

"  That  question,"  answered  Charley,  trying  to 
blush,  "  puts  me  into  the  warm  weather  ;  for  it  is 
a  calorific  reflection  on  my  docility  and  native 
loveliness  of  disposition.  Of  course,  if  my  wife 
has  no  servant  to  order,  she  must  order  me  to 
build  the  fire.  I  shall  always  be  obedient  where 
I  see  that  she  is  weathcrwisc,  and  watching  to 
provide  against  thermal  disturbances  likely  to 
eventuate  in  a  storm  !  " 

tie  heaved  a  long-drawn  sigh,  and  added,  "  To 
build  a  fire  would  be  pretty  work,  were  it  not  for 
the  incongruous  ashes  !  Why  the  Creator  should 
give  to  the  beautiful  flame  so  disagreeable  a  con 
comitant  is  beyond  me !  Going  to  war,  and 
sacrificing  one's  self  for  one's  country  is  nothing 
to  the  sacrifice  of  the  finer  and  more  delicate  feel 
ings  required  in  emptying  ashes  !  In  the  former 
case  the  body  is  patriotically,  and  beautifully, 
killed,  but,  in  the  latter,  the  tender  sensibilities 
are  murdered  !  And  yet,  so  long  as  my  wife 
manages  me  properly,  my  manly  bosom  will  never 
entertain  a  thought  of  rebellion,  and  I  hope  this 
fact  will  inspire  you  all  with  some  appreciation  of 
my  wondrous  docility." 

"  You  need  give  us  no  other  proof,"  asserted 
Thornton.  "  Ashes  are  a  nuisance,  from  which  we 
hope  electricity  may  sometime  free  us." 

"  Nuisance  is  no  word  for  them,"  Charley  de 
clared  scornfully.  "  To  illustrate,  you  turn  down 


306  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


the  ash-pan  and  run,  but  the  ashes  go  for  you  and 
pass  by,  and  when  you  think  you  have  escaped,  a 
gust  of  wind  brings  them  back  in  your  face,  eddy 
ing  and  whirling  about  you,  and  when  at  last 
you  can  see  and  breathe,  you  extend  your  arms 
diagonally,  stoop  over  and  look  at  yourself,  and 
then  you  want  to  say  Gorry,  but  you  will  not 
belittle  yourself  by  giving  way  to  uneducated 
temper.  You  try  to  feel  amiable,  but  there  you 
are  with  your  neat  appearance  all  gone,  and  your 
dignity  utterly  squelched  !  Now,  whether  there 
is  any  home  happiness  for  the  rest  of  that  day 
depends  on  the  sensitive  thoughtfulness  and 
affectionate  skill  of  the  wife.  This  is  her  supreme 
moment ! " 

"  Do  tell  us  particularly  just  what  she  should 
do,"  said  Miss  Thornton  much  entertained. 

"  Well,"  replied  Charley  sedately,  "  I  am 
always  glad  to  impart  my  superior  knowledge, 
and  will  say,  if  she  meets  her  lord  with  loving 
gladness,  as  if  he  had  been  gone  months  instead 
of  minutes,  dances  about  him,  calling  him  pet 
names,  and  kisses  him,  and  then  comes  back  for 
one  more  as  she  starts  off  for  her  work  again, 
domestic  felicity  is  made  secure ;  but  if  she  is 
thoughtless,  and  does  nothing  to  revive  his  droop 
ing  spirits,  the  dying  embers  go  on  dying,  and 
marital  felicity  perishes." 

"  I  hope  you  will  excuse  me,  Professor  Bloom- 
field,"  said  Mr.  Thornton  at  the  first  lull  in  the 
conversation,  "  if  I  ask  the  clearing  up  of  a  Bibli 
cal  difficulty?" 


BREAKFAST.  307 

"  Certainly,"  I  replied,  "  I  shall  be  only  too 
glad  to  assist  you  as  far  as  I  myself  have  got  out 
of  the  woods." 

"  What  !  you  have  difficulties  ?  " 

"  Many  of  them." 

"  Well,"  continued  Mr.  Thornton  both  sur 
prised  and  relieved,  "  it  is  some  comfort  to  know 
that.  Coming  home  from  poor  Polly  Durgin's 
last  night  1  got  to  thinking  of  the  raising  of 
the  widow's  son,  and  it  struck  me  as  a  hardship, 
instead  of  a  kindness,  to  call  him  back  to  life, 
after  he  had  got  through  with  the  suffering 
attendant  upon  sickness  and  death,  to  pass  through 
it  all  again." 

"  It  never  occurred  to  me  that  he  must  die 
again,"  Miss  Thornton  exclaimed. 

O 

"  Strange  I  had  not  thought  of  that  either," 
added  Charley. 

"  We  can  conceive,"  I  said,  as  they  all  looked 
to  me,  "  that  the  object-lesson  might  be  wrorth  all 
the  pains  of  another  death,  and  that  the  exten 
sion  of  preparatory  time  might  be  of  inestimable 
value  to  others,  as  well  as  to  the  son  ;  but.  I  like 
to  think  of  it  as  a  mark  of  sympathy  not.  only  for 
our  sorrowing  humanity  in  the  breaking  up  of 
family  ties  fas  when  Jesus  wept  with  Mary  and 
Martha  at  the  tomb  of  their  brother),  but  for  the 
holier  tears  of  a  mother  widowed  and  lonely,  and, 
therefore,  as  a  divine  tribute  to  motherhood — a 
declaration  in  action  of  the  service  due  from 
child  to  parent." 

"  I  thank  you  for  that  thought  ;   I  like  it,"  said 


308  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Thornton  emphatically.  His  voice  trembled  a 
little  as  he  added,  "  A  mother's  tears  are  sacred  if 
anything  is  in  this  world." 

"  Your  remark,"  I  continued,  "  finds  a  respon 
sive  echo  in  all  our  hearts,  and  gives  emphasis  to 
what  I  was  about  to  add,  that  Jesus  reached  the 
higher  nature  of  man  through  some  benefit  to 
the  lower,  bringing  the  truth  into  direct  contact 
with  the  mind  by  first  getting  body  and  mind  into 
the  right  condition  to  receive  it." 

"That  reminds  me,"  Miss  Thornton  said,  "to 
ask  how  you  would  apply  the  Christ  idea  to  the 
lower  classes  ?  " 

"  I  would  live  among  them,  at  least  part  of  the 
time,  dress  neatly  but  plainly,  be  interested  in  all 
their  little  gettings-on  in  life,  and,  if  they  were 
suffering  in  body,  mind,  or  estate,  relieve  them, 
and  then  bring  home  the  truth." 

"  That  would  require  great  self-denial  in  one 
who  loves  nice  surroundings,"  said  Mr.  Thornton, 
thoughtfully. 

"  Yes,  but  what  is  a  Christian  good  for  who 
cannot  practice  self-denial  ?  Besides,  nothing 
valuable  can  be  accomplished  without  it.  And 
yet,  again,  in  self-denial,  with  the  right  motive, 
lies  the  purest  and  most  abiding  joy." 

"  I  fear  I  should  find  it  too  hard  to  give  up  a  fine 
home,  and  go  down  and  live  among  rough,  unap- 
preciating  people,  even  for  the  sake  of  helping 
them." 

"  It  may  not  be  your  duty,  Mr.  Thornton, 
personally,  but  it  is  somebody's  duty;  and  if  I 


BREAKFAST.  309 


had  the  means,  I  should  burn  to  undertake  a 
work  where  I  could  walk  so  clearly  in  the  foot 
steps  of  One  whose  moral  heroism  and  love 
liness  of  spirit  fill  me  at  times  with  the  pro- 
foundest  enthusiasm."  A  wistful  look  was  in  the 
eyes  of  Miss  Thornton,  as  the}'  met  mine,  and 
tears  were  starting-  from  their  fountains;  and  I 
hastened  to  add,  "  This  idea  of  commencing  with 
people  where  you  find  them  is  suggestive  also  of 
the  proper  method  of  instruction  anywhere,  even 
of  sermonizing  to  a  cultured  people.' 

"  That's  right,"  said  Charley,  "  give  us  a  course 
on  homiletics,  so  I  may  know  how  to  supply  the 
defects  of  dull  sermons  when  I  have  to  listen  to 
them." 

"  Please  go  on,  Professor  Bloomfield,"  urged 
Thornton. 

"  I  was  only  thinking  that  the  common  method, 
and  perhaps  the  most  logical,  too,  is  to  commence 
inward  with  principle,  and  work  outward  to  con 
duct,  and,  therefore,  too  far  off  from  the  auditors 
to  get  their  immediate  attention,  leaving  some 
without  sufficient  interest  to  get  aboard  the  train 
of  thought  ;  whereas,  Jesus  commenced  outward 
with  what  was  familiar  and  interesting  to  his 
hearers,  and  worked  inward,  thereby  easily  carry 
ing  them  with  him,  and  letting  them  go  away 
with  their  last  thoughts  on  the  springs  of  conduct 
or  convictions  of  duty,  which  is  a  great  point 
gained." 

"  That  recalls  the  pictures  we  have,"  said  Miss 
Thornton,  "  of  Jesus  drawing  the  attention  of  his 


310 


S 'IH 'PS  BY  DAY. 


hearers  to  the  lilies  of  the  field  and  the  sparrows 
before  their  very  eyes,  and,  by  means  of  them, 
inward  to  a  conviction  of  God's  providential  care 
over  all  his  creatures." 

"  In  all  his  parables,  and  even  in  his  miracles,"  I 
""added,  "  he  led  them  from  the  outside  fact  to  the 
inside  fact — from  the  material  and  familiar  to  the 
immaterial  and  spiritual." 

"If  homiletical  professors  and  all  who  run  the 
theological  mills  taught  the  Nazarene  method,  I 
think  we  should  have  more  interesting  preachers," 
said  Charley  with  the  sparkle  of  mingled  merri 
ment  and  earnestness  in  his  eyes. 

"  Better  still,"  added  Thornton  with  some 
spirit,  "  if  the  gospel  mills,  as  you  call  them, 
were  abolished  altogether." 

"Why  so,  Thede  ?  "  asked  his  sister. 

"  Because,  Theo,  the  pulpit  might  then  say 
something  new  and  interesting,  and  the  religious 
world  be  relieved  of  its  present  unprogressive, 
dull  monotony.  Theological  seminaries  are  de 
nominational,  and  both  create  and  perpetuate 
ruts,  and,  so,  pervert  the  divine  plan  of  original, 
independent,  individual  thinking  and  method. 
They  lead  men  to  look  at  truth  for  the  sake  of 
party  or  sect,  and  not  from  the  love  of  it.  There 
is  no  encouragement  to  think,  and  every  induce 
ment  not  to  think,  except  along  denominational 
lines.  Is  not  that  so,  Professor  ?  " 

"  It  is  true,"  I  responded,  "  that  our  theological 
seminaries  are  in  a  measure  open  to  the  objection 
you  mention.  Some  preachers  are  undoubtedly 


BREAKFAST.  31  t 


injured  by  a  theological  course,  being  spoiled  for 
what  they  might  have  been,  and  not  made  into 
what  the  seminaries  would  build  them  ;  and 
yct- 

"  But  just  think,  Mr.  Bloomfield,  (When  ex 
cited  it  was  simply  "  Mr.",  at  most  other  times 
"  Professor"),  these  seminaries  are  sectarian,  and 
all  the  teachers  are  chosen  to  think  one  way,  with 
little  or  no  latitude  ;  and  if  one  is  independent 
enough  to  take  a  broader  view,  and,  in  his  larger 
sweep  finds  new  ideas  outside  of  the  prescribed 
limits,  and  teaches  them,  he  is  at  once  bounced, 
as  the  phrase  is.  1  low  can  there  be  any  progress 
under  such  a  system  .•"  It  is  high  time  people 
stopped  thinking  in  platoons  and  phalanxes,  or 
denominations,  and  began  to  think  as  individuals, 
standing  alone  in  the  glory  and  power  of  a  per 
sonal  responsibility." 

The  last  sentence  was  spoken  with  much 
warmth,  and  1  thought  it  best  to  simply  ask  : — 

"Mr.  Thornton,  how  would  you  remedy  the 
defects  of  the  present  system  of  theological  in 
struction  t " 

"  I  would  either  dump  these  schools  into  the 
Hack  Bay,  Mr.  Bloomfield,  or  introduce  into  them 
untrammelled  teachers  of  every  denomination, 
and,  perhaps,  one  good,  honest,  common-sense 
sceptic  to  sharpen  their  wits,  and  keep  their  heads 
clear  of  all  nonsense,  and,  by  broad,  health}-  dis 
cussion,  free  them  from  the  stagnation  and  death 
of  partisan  and  antiquated  knowledge  sealed  and 
delivered  in  iron-bound  creeds." 


3  i  2  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  A  good  idea,  Mr.  Thornton,  but  before  it  can 
be  materialized  men  must  need  be  better,  and 
larger  every  way  than  now." 

"  You  believe,  then,  in  denominations  and 
creeds  ?  " 

"  I  think  at  present  our  religious  liberties  are 
safer  with  many  denominations  than  with  one. 
Unless  Protestant  human  nature  is  different  from 
Roman  Catholic  human  nature,  I  would  not  dare 
to  trust  even  my  own  church  without  the  check 
of  opposing  denominations  and  beliefs." 

"  There  is  something  in  that,  I  admit  ;  but  my 
objection  to  creeds  is,  that  those  who  subscribe 
to  them  take  a  partisan  view  of  truth,  and  keep 
their  minds  set  in  a  defensive,  instead  of  a  teach 
able  attitude." 

"  There,  indeed,  is  where  the  great  danger  of 
all  parties  and  creeds  lies.  But  of  course  every 
one  has  a  creed,  something  he  believes,  or  he 
would  have  nothing  on  which  to  stand,  no  ful 
crum  over  which  to  pry,  and  give  his  thoughts  a 
higher  range." 

"  Very  true,  Mr.  Bloomfield,  but  how  is  one  to 
get  out  of  an  iron-bound  creed  ?  He  might  as  well 
try  to  lift  himself  over  a  fence  by  his  boot-straps." 

"  I  believe,  Brother  Thornton,  that  a  man  who 
imprisons  his  mind  in  an  iron-bound  creed  is  verily 
guilty  before  God  and  man." 

"  What,  then,  can  the  subscriber  to  a  written 
creed  do?  " 

"  He  should  be  just  as  conscientiously  free  as 
the  man  with  only  an  unwritten  creed,  and  en- 


BREAKFAST.  313 


large  it  as  he  outgrows  it ;  as  the  written  constitu 
tion  of  the  United  States  has  been  enlarged  by 
being  pulled  here,  and  patched  there,  till,  like  a 
country-boy's  coat,  the  original  is  nearly  out  of 
sight." 

"  Well,  Professor  Bloomficld,"  with  a  laugh 
which  went  round  the  table,  "  I  could  manage  to 
get  along  with  your  interpretation  and  use  of 
creeds  ;  but  the  trouble  is,  so  many  make  a  nest 
of  their  creed,  and  lie  in  it  as  a  finality,  and  only 
snarl  at  you  if  you  attempt  to  show  them  some 
thing  not  in  their  nest." 

"  Too  true,  and,  if  they  do  not  snarl,  they  pity 
you  that  you  are  not  tucked  in  as  warmly  as  they  ; 
but  might  not  such  persons  settle  clown  into  some 
thing  as  stationary  without,  as  with,  a  written 
creed  ?  " 

"  Possibly  ;  but  it  is  the  ministry,  and  those  who 
ought  to  know  better,  who  are  to  blame  for  the 
immobility  of  church  creeds.  Oh  !  it  is  a  crime 
to  deprive  men  of  the  necessity  of  thinking ;  and 
shame  on  the  man  who,  for  the  sake  of  denomi 
national  standing,  or  for  his  bread  and  butter,  even 
will  sell  his  birthright  to  receive  and  proclaim  all 
the  truth  God  gives  him  !  " 

"  Amen  to  that,  friend  Thornton,  but  are  you 
not  fighting  a  man  of  straw?" 

"  God  knows  I  wish  I  were  !  "  Me  spoke  sor 
rowfully,  pausing,  and  then  with  increasing  in 
dignation  went  on.  "Why,  only  recently  a  well- 
known  theological  professor  admitted,  to  friends 
of  mine,  that  there  should  be  a  restatement  of 


3 14  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


theological  doctrine.  The  times,  he  said,  re 
quired  it,  and  the  interests  of  truth  demanded  it. 
He  went  so  far  as  to  give  his  approval  of  such  a 
statement  drawn  up  by  a  conscientious  and  rising 
pastor  of  his  own  faith.  Other  religious  teachers 
and  leaders  gave  their  unqualified  approval,  and 
there  was  a  great  scramble  among  certain  religious 
editors  for  the  privilege  of  first  publishing  it  to 
the  world.  When  published,  however,  a  cry  went 
up  everywhere  from  the  babes  in  the  woods,  that 
they  had  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints, 
and  wanted  no  new  theology !  Then  the  fright 
ened  theological  Professor  went  to  the  author, 
and  said  that  on  further  reflection  he  could  not 
approve  of  the  restatement,  many  of  the  other 
original  adherents  saying  about  the  same,  leaving 
the  honest  author  to  fight  for  truth  almost  single- 
handed.  Oh  !  this  quailing  before  men,  fearing 
the  loss  of  position  more  than  dishonesty  before 
God,  is  not  leaving  all  to  follow  the  truth  !  " 

"  All  I  can  say  is,  brother  Thornton,  if  there 
are  such  craven  religious  teachers,  so  cowardly,  so 
recreant  to  their  trusts,  as  to  teach,  in  part  even, 
what  they  do  not  believe,  it  is  one  of  the  saddest 
thoughts  in  the  religious  history  of  this  hopeful 
nineteenth  century.  It  makes  me  sick  to  think 
such  a  thing  possible  !  " 

"Possible!  Why — Excuse  me."  He  disap 
peared,  bringing  back  copies  of  a  religious  paper 
published  in  Boston.  "  Here  is  something  nearer 
home,  which  shows  that  some  ministers,  at  least, 
don't  want  the  truth  proclaimed,  and  that  religious 


BREAKFAST. 


315 


teachers  and  editors  can  be  frightened  from  the 
duty  of  giving  it  to  them.  A  series  of  inter 
polated  Scripture  texts  has  appeared  from  week 
to  week  by  a  professor  in  a  theological  seminary, 
until,  at  length,  communications  poured  in,  cry 
ing,  '  Save  the  Bible  !  It  is  time  to  cry  a  halt  !  ' 
Since  then  I  have  looked  in  vain  for  any  more 
interpolated  Scripture  texts  in  that  paper.  Are 
these  people  afraid  of  the  truth?" 

"  The}-  are  timid,  brother  Thornton,  and,  per 
haps,  afraid  to  trust  the  people." 

"  Then  they  ought  not  to  blame  the  Romish 
priests  for  not  trusting  the  Bible  in  the  hands  of 
the  ignorant.  I  tell  you,  good  brother,  this  lack 
of  confidence  in  the  truth,  and  in  the  people,  is 
more  than  a  mistake,  it  is  a  crime  !  This  resting 
on  a  perhaps,  instead  of  digging  for  the  rock-bot 
tom  truth,  is  unaccountable  to  me." 

"  I  am  heartily  with  you,  brother  Thornton, 
but  we  must  remember  that  Christianity  has  to 
deal  with  pretty  poor  material,  some  of  it  low- 
down,  weak,  and  awfully  twisted,  and  it  takes 
lime  to  lift  it  up  and  straighten  it.  To  some 
people  whatever  is  old  and  familiar  becomes 
sacred,  and  they  prefer  to  be  deceived,  almost, 
than  to  be  deprived  of  it.  And  then,  again, 
many  are  apparently  controlled  wholly  by  their 
surroundings — kept  out  of  the  Church  by  them, 
and  swept  in  by  them,  and  take  their  faith  from 
them,  it  is  so  much  easier  to  be  borne  along  by 
forces  outside  of  them,  and  not  have  to  lift  their 
heads  and  breast  the  popular  current!  " 


3 1 6  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Delightfully  happy  persons !  "  broke  in 
Charley,  rilling  his  goblet  with  fresh  milk  from  a 
pitcher  by  his  side.  "  They  have  accommodating 
consciences  like  this  liquid,  which  always  takes 
the  shape  of  the  vessel  holding  it.  I  find  a 
pliable  conscience  a  very  convenient  thing  to 
have  about  one,  it  is  so  delicious  to  do  wrong  semi- 
occasionally !  "  This  turned  the  conversation 
into  lighter  channels,  which  was  what  Charley 
desired. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

A     TEARFUL     FAREWELL. 

A  FTER  breakfast  we  read  from  three  different 
**  translations,  and  one  Greek  Testament  which 
I  always  carried  with  me,  the  twentieth  chapter 
of  Acts,  descriptive  of  the  touching  separation  of 
Paul  from  the  elders  of  the  Ephesian  Church,  that 
chapter  occurring  as  a  coincident,  and  not  by  de 
sign,  in  the  regular  course  of  my  Scripture  read 
ing.  As  we  read  in  turn  each  voice  had  a  note  of 
tenderness  ;  and,  when  Charley  read  how  "  They 
all  wept  sore,  and  fell  on  Paul's  neck  and  kissed 
him,  sorrowing  most  of  all  for  the  words  which  he 
spake,  that  they  should  see  his  face  no  more,"  his 
utterance  became  choked,  Thornton  cleared  his 
throat,  and  Miss  Thornton  covered  her  eyes  with 
her  handkerchief.  I,  too,  was  deeply  moved,  and 
found  it  difficult  to  go  on  with  the  service. 

Why  we  should  have  so  much  feeling  on  this 
separation  morn  is  not  easily  explained.  Was  it 
prophetic  that  we  should  not  all  meet  again  ?  Or 
is  there  a  subtle  cord  of  sympathy  communicating 
with  kindred  spirits,  as  by  an  electric  wire,  what 
ever  of  keen  emotion  there  may  be  in  one  loving 
heart,  though  outwardly  unindexed  ?  One  thing 
was  certain,  that,  next  to  the  Hlentwoods,  this 


318  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


home  of  Theodore  and  Theodocia  Thornton  was 
the  pleasantest  I  ever  enjoyed — Theodore  a  little 
brusque  in  his  manner,  but  kind  and  honest,  and 
Theodocia  every  inch  a  woman  of  refinement, 
great  delicacy,  and  yet,  great  strength  of  feeling, 
frank,  confiding,  modest  without  prudery,  tender, 
unconventional,  and  innocent  as  a  child.  I  had 
in  my  heart  of  hearts  a  very  strong  friendship  for 
both  of  them. 

Theodocia  reminded  me  of  Ethel  Blentwood 
in  that  they  had  similar  rallying  points  of  faith 
and  courage,  the  same  conscientious  love  of  truth, 
the  same  frank,  loving  disposition  and  purity  of 
purpose,  were  similar  in  height,  and  in  the  deep, 
luminous  expression  of  their  eyes.  Both  were 
graceful  in  movement  and  figure,  but  Ethel  had 
more  roundness  of  contour,  a  more  elastic  step, 
more  vivacity  and  varied  expression  of  counte 
nance,  a  more  aggressive  warmth  and  joyousness 
of  temperament,  at  the  same  time  more  of  self- 
reliance,  self-poise  and  self-control. 

One  appealed  to  you  from  her  sweet,  childlike 
dependence,  the  other  from  her  more  positive  and 
winning  cordiality.  One  roused  your  manliness 
and  devotion,  the  other  inspired  you  with  the 
noblest  impulses  and  activities.  Both  were 
lovely  and  lovable,  and,  in  some  circumstances, 
it  might  have  been  hard  to  choose  between  them. 
Theodocia  had  that  vine-like,  twining  disposition, 
which  appeals  so  strongly  to  every  man,  and  it 
seemed  a  pity  that  her  great  affection  could  not 
have  the  sunshine  of  encouragement  to  grow  up 


A    TEARFUL  FAREWELL.  319 


about  the  man  she  loved.  What  oak,  I  thought, 
would  not  be  improved  by  such  a  vine  ! 

But  whatever  the  cause,  when  we  arose  from 
our  devotions,  mine,  I  knew,  was  not  the  only 
face  suffused  with  tears.  Thornton  looked  out 
of  the  window,  Charley  fumbled  a  book,  and 
Theodocia  went,  deeply  agitated,  from  the  room. 
I  found  her  afterwards  half  reclining  in  a  large 
easy-chair,  screened  behind  the  ample  draperies  of 
the  bay-window.  Her  hands  hung  limp  by  her 
side,  from  one  of.  which  her  handkerchief  was 
slipping  away,  and  from  her  half-closed  eyes  there 
were  traces  of  fallen  tears. 

The  whole  picture  was  so  touching,  so  pathetic, 
that,  without  knowing  what  I  did,  but  wishing  to 
do  something,  I  raised  her  head  upon  my  left 
arm  and  passed  the  other  hand  over  her  temples. 
It  was  entirely  the  impulse  of  unstudied  sym 
pathy.  She  did  not  move,  however;  but  a  slight 
thrill  went  through  her  frame,  the  color  came  to 
her  cheeks,  and,  as  I  began  to  feel  alarmed,  she 
opened  her  eyes,  and  smiled  at  me  through  her 
recurring  tears.  It  was  like  the  breaking  out  of 
a  rainbow  through  the  drops  of  a  clearing  shower. 

"Oh  !  "  she  said,  "  I  have  had  such  a  beautiful 
vision,  and  must  have  been  asleep  when  you  came 
to  me.  I  was  in  heaven,  and,  seeing  you  coming, 
1  hurried  back,  but  think  you  got  here  first." 

"  It  was  too  bad  in  me  to  bring  you  down  out 
of  heaven,  but  I  didn't  wish  you  to  go  there  to 
stay  just  yet,"  I  said,  trying  to  laugh. 

"  Oh,  I  was  glad  to  come,"  she  explained,  "  for 


320 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


I  thought  I  wanted  to  say  something  to  you.  It 
was  all  so  wonderful  !  and  so  very  real !  Such 
bright  and  glorious  spirits !  and  they,  the  few 
near  me,  seemed  to  know  by  sympathetic  intui 
tion,  what  my  errand  was,  and  to  enjoy  with  me 
my  sanguine  hopes.  You  will  promise  ?  I  know 
you  will." 

"  Am  I  to  promise  without  knowing  what  ?  " 
"  It  is  a  sacred   trust,  which   I   commission  you 
to  perform,  the  details  of  which  I  will  leave  under 
seal  to  be  opened  immediately  after  my  burial." 

"  Oh,  don't  talk  of  burial!  Miss  Thornton;  you 
may  outlive  me  many  years." 

"  If  I  do,  you  will  be  released  from  your  prom 
ise.  If  within  your  power,  will  you  accept  the 
trust  ?  " 

"  Must  I  promise  without  further  light  ?" 
"  Yes,  if  your  confidence  in  me  is  sufficient." 
I  hesitated  from  a  natural  repugnance  to  a  step 
so  utterly  in  the  dark,  where  a  thousand  contin 
gencies  might  change  the  whole  aspect  of  things, 
and   render    the   fulfilment   of  a   promise  a  very 
delicate  and  difficult   matter  of  conscience,  but  I 
said  : — 

"  I  can  trust  you,  Miss  Thornton,  to  give  me 
no  unjust  task,  and,  therefore,  I  promise  to  do 
what  you  wish,  limited  only  by  my  ability." 

"  I  knew  you  would  ;  the  angels  whispered  it, 
and  looked  glad  as  I  left  them  ;  and  now  let  us 
seal  the  compact."  Placing  a  Bible  in  my  hands, 
and  clasping  it  in  hers  also,  she  added,  "  We  will 
consider  her  hands  on  this  book,  if  you  like,  so  as 


A    TEARFUL  FAREWELL.  321 


to  make  this  a  possible  tripartite  agreement ;  and 
no\v,  in  the  circumstances,  with  our  hands  on  the 
Bible,  and  in  the  presence  of  two  worlds,  I  think 
we  are  capable  of  sealing  it  with  a — a — holy — 

There  was  an  unworldly,  spiritual  look  and  a 
question  in  her  eyes,  as  she  hesitated,  and  to  save 
her  the  embarrassing  word  I  bowed  my  head,  and 
the  strange  compact,  or  possible  tripartite  agree 
ment,  as  she  called  it,  was  solemnly  and  sacredly 
sealed.  She  looked  at  me  as  if  she  saw  into  my 
very  soul,  and  then,  with  a  smile  more  angelic 
than  earthly,  said  : 

"  I  shall  not  die  untimely,  and  I  am  very  grate 
ful,  and  very  happy." 

She  gave  me  her  hand,  and  I  asked,  "  Shall  we 
say  good-bye  now  ?  " 

"  It  might  as  well  be  here,"  she  answered,  "  if 
you  will  excuse  the  seeming  impoliteness  ;  for  I 
am  exceedingly  weak  this  morning." 

O     .-  O 

I  pressed  her  hand,  and,  with  thanks  for  her 
friendly  hospitality,  and  a  God  bless  you,  to 
gether  with  a  few  comforting  words,  cut  short  by 
a  lump  in  my  throat,  I  rushed  out  upon  the 
piaz/.a,  where  I  was  soon  joined  by  Charley  and 
Mr.  Thornton,  the  latter  with  a  well-filled  lunch- 
basket  in  his  hand. 

We  had  scarcely  started  for  the  shore  before  a 
message  came  for  Mr.  Thornton,  and  Charley  and 
I  went  on  alone.  When  we  turned  for  a  last  look 
at  the  house,  Thornton  waved  his  hat  from  the 
pia/x.a,  and  a  white  handkerchief  fluttered  from  the 
open  bay  window,  where  I  had  left  Theodocia. 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

LOVE   AND    PHILOSOPHY. 

\\7  E  were  soon  moving  downstream  in  the  middle 
of  the  current,  each  occupied  with  his  own 
reflections.  What  I  thought  of  my  strange  ex 
perience  may  better  be  imagined  than  expressed. 
I  naturally  queried  whether  Theodocia  would 
select  Ethel  as  my  ideal  of  a  woman,  or  I  the 
man  of  Theodocia's  choice,  and  why  our  affections 
should  pass  each  other,  when,  with'  a  common 
object  and  her  ample  means,  we  could  do  the 
glorious  work  I  longed  for ;  and  I  wondered 
whether  love  had  any  common-sense  in  it  anyway. 
But  Ethel  held  the  throne  in  my  heart,  and  God, 
I  thought,  would  solve  the  problem  some  way ; 
and  in  sheer  reaction  from  the  too  serious  strain 
I  began  to  rally  Charley  from  his  revery  on  his 
attachment  to  Carrie  Horton. 

"  Physician,  heal  thyself,"  he  remonstrated. 

"  Good  medical  advice,"  I  acknowledged, 
"  which  I  fear  you  cannot  take,  because  you  ex 
hausted  all  your  little  pills  on  me  when  we  were 
leaving  the  Blentwood  shore,  but  which  I  will 
now  proceed  to  pay  back  to  you,  in  lieu  of  coin, 
for  your  professional  services  : 

"  Charley  Lightheart,  my  boy,  snap  the  chains 
322 


LOVE  AND  PHILOSOPHY-  323 

of  enslavement  which  Carrie  Horton  has  wound 
about  your  too  willing1  neck.  Be  free  !  Stand 
up  with  St.  Paul  and  me  on  the  sublime  heights 
of  female  disenchantment!  Wash  away  the  films 
which  girlish  blandishments  have  cast  over  your 
eyes  !  Give  your  affections  a  little  fresh  air  ! 
Ensmall  not  yourself,  my  boy  !  Allow  not  your 
sympathies  to  be  hedged  about  by  matrimonial 
intentions  !  Be  enlarged,  and  love  the  whole 
world  !  Soar,  my  boy,  soar  on  the  wings  of  a 
boundless  aspiration  !  " 

This  harangue  had  its  effect,  and  Charley, 
raising  himself  and  his  hat  with  great  and  solemn 
dignity,  said  : — 

"  Allow  me  to  inform  your  highness  that  to 
love  Carrie  Horton  enlarges  a  man,  and  does  not 
hedge  in  his  sympathies.  She  is  a  cosmos,  and, 
therefore,  whoever  loves  her  loves  the  world  ! 
She  sparkles  with  all  the  brilliancy  of  a  Kohinoor, 
more  beautiful  is  she  than  the  rose,  sweeter  than 
the  pink,  lovelier  than  the  lily.  In  short,  she  is 
Carrie  Horton,  and  in  these  words  I  exhaust  the 
English  language  !  " 

lie  sat  down  with  the  air  of  one  who  felt  su 
premely  satisfied  with  himself.  To  help  on  his 
self-complacency,  which  I  enjoyed  immensely, 
especially  the  manner  of  it,  I  said  : 

"  Your  weighty  arguments  have  silenced  the 
guns  of  opposition.  I  confess  myself  squelched." 

Charley  smote  upon  his  breast,  and,  bowing 
slowly,  as  if  agitated  by  his  emotions,  gravely 
responded  : 


324  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Your  magnanimity  touches  my  heart  !  I, 
too,  am  conquered  ;  but  neither  you  nor  I,  great 
souls  that  we  are,  can  take  advantage  of  our  vic 
tory  !  I  confess  that  Carrie  Horton  is  not  so 
great  intellectually  as  Ethel  Blentvvood,  and  may 
not  have  so  high  a  purpose  in  life — which  fact 
will  enable  me  to  commit  any  little  sins,  which 
are  sweet  to  me,  unmolested,  and  that  is  an  in 
estimable  boon  !  I  need,  you  know,  just  the 
tiniest  little  devil  in  my  wife  to  keep  up  a  happy 
equilibrium,  or  balance,  of  marital  forces,  and 
Carrie  has  one,  I  think,  about  the  right  size. 
She  is  deliciously  lively.  In  fact  I  may  say, 
without  qualification,  she  is  lively.  She  plays 
lively,  sings  lively,  talks  lively,  laughs  lively,  and 
loves  lively.  She  is  not  the  girl  to  get  into  the 
dumps,  and  sit  against  the  north  side  of  a  tomb 
stone  on  a  cold  moonlight  night.  She  likes  the 
warmth  and  the  sunshine,  and  the  buttered  side 
of  the  world's  bread,  and  knows  which  side  that 
is  ;  and  we  shall  unitedly  seek,  not  for  the  first 
seats  in  the  universe,  but  for  the  softest  and 
pleasantest,  where  we  shall  be  fanned  by  the 
balmiest  breezes,  and  the  fragrance  of  life  is 
sweetest.  In  a  word,  we  shall  live  on  the  very 
mountain-top  of  wedded  felicity  equally  delicious 
every  day  in  the  week  !  " 

"  But  suppose  an  unlooked-for  domestic  breeze 
blow  you  off  your  pinnacle  of  glory  ?  " 

"  Then  I  will  scramble  up  again." 

"  Good  !  but  suppose  the  next  breeze  proves 
a  squall,  and  it  is  repeated  faster  than  you  can 


LOVE  AND  PHILOSOPHY.  325 


scramble  up,  and  you  become  so  sore  you  find  it 
difficult  to  climb,  and  discover  when  too  late  (O, 
the  horrors  of  such  a  discovery  !)  that  your  con 
fidence  was  grounded  in  ignorance  of  the  new 
forces  and  changed  thermal  conditions  of  married 
life  ?  " 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  my  Carrie  can  be 
come  a  nimbiferous  cyclone,  perpetual  or  inter 
mittent  ? — my  Carrie,  who  is  always  as  balmy, 
and  as  bright,  and  as  sweet  as  a  June  morning  ! 

"A  June  morning  she  may  be  in  the  halcyon 
days  of  courtship,  with  nothing  but  sunshine 
between  her  and  you,  but — 

"Are  you  insinuating  (interrupting,  and  pound 
ing  the  boat  with  his  first)  that  I  can  ever  exhibit 
any  other  than  a  sunny  side  to  the  woman  of  my 
choice  ?  or  that  I  have  any  other  side  to  exhibit, 
in  fact  ?  " 

"  You  can  never  be  other  than  a  dear  good  fel 
low,  Charley  ;  but  suppose  adversity  should  make 
your  pocket-book  lean,  and  the  clouds  should 
gather  thick  and  fast  in  your  sky,  will  your  per 
sonal  sunshine  keep  the  damp  and  chill  from  your 
home,  and  prevent  the  tempest?  or  even  the  little 
whirlwinds,  which  disturb  domestic  tranquility  ?  " 

"Prevent  it?  Of  course  it  will!  How  can 
there  be  any  storm,  where  the  domestic  air  is 
kept  full  of  such  \varm  and  luminous  sentiments 
as  these  flying  about, — my  joy!  my  sweet-scented 
orange  blossom  !  my  delectable  juice  of  pine 
apple !  my  luscious  essence  of  figs!  Eh?  my 
veteran,  of  long  and  varied  experience  !  " 


326  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  I  speak  only  as  a  student  and  close  observer." 
"  Well,  my  Carrie  is  necessary  to  my  happiness, 
squalls   and  chills  notwithstanding,  O,  great  phi 
losopher  !  " 

"  If  you  marry  only  to  make  yourself  happy, 
your  selfishness  will  deserve  defeat,  and  Carrie 
will  prove  more  of  an  angel  than  I  think  she  is, 
or  you  will  wake  up  some  dark  morning  and 
lament  with  the  Dutchman  : — 

'  When  I  links  of  what  I  is 
And  what  I  used  to  vas, 
I  links  I  frowed  myself  away 
Mitout  sufficient  cause  ! '  " 

"  Poor  Dutchman  !  Mine  will  be  a  good  cause 
anyway.  But  if  she,  too,  marries  to  be  happy, 
are  not  the  conditions  of  mutual  happiness  met?" 

"Only  till  the  glamour  passes  off,  my  untutored 
boy.  Selfishness  is  a  non-unionist,  pulls  apart, 
and  never  goes  beyond  itself,  except  to  get  some 
thing  not  its  own." 

"  Yes,  but  you  leave  out  the  factor,  love  !  " 

"  You  left  it  out,  and  I  took  you  at  your  word. 
Marrying  to  make  yourself  happy  is  a  selfish 
motive.  Love  does  not  think  of  self,  but  of  the 
object  loved,  and  finds  its  highest  happiness  in 
the  happiness  of  that  object." 

"Ah  !  I  see  I  am  a  neophite,  and  surrender  to 
your  erudite  and  more  comprehensive  interpreta 
tion.  Carrie  Horton  is  a  necessity  to  me»  because 
I  can  only  be  happy  in  serving  her  happiness. 
How  does  that  terminology  strike  your  judicial 
sense  ?  " 


LO17-:  AXD  PHILOSOPHY.  327 


"  Much  better,  Sir  Charles.  If  you  know 
you  are  the  one  to  make  her  happy,  and  seek 
to  marry  her  for  that  purpose,  your  motive  is 
genuine." 

"  Of  course  it's  genuine.  Don't  you  think  her 
an  angel  ? 

"  No." 

"  Isn't  she  seraphic  ?  " 

"  No." 

Charley  rose  up,  threw  his  hat  violently  into 
the  bottom  of  the  boat,  clawed  the  air  with  his 
spread-out  fingers,  run  them  through  his  hair  till 
every  spear  stood  on  end  like  the  quills  of  a  fret 
ful  porcupine,  rolled  his  eyes,  and,  looking  like  a 
madman,  exclaimed  : 

"  (),  for  something  to  quench  the  flame  of  my 
righteous  indignation  ! ' 

o  *> 

"  You  might  try  a  little  river  water,"  I  sug 
gested. 

"  River  water  !  "  he  roared  ;  "  nothing  but  the 
waters  of  a  better  judgment  on  your  part  can 
abate  this  rage." 

"Rage?  I  thought  you  had  only  a  sunny  dis 
position,  which  could  not  rage  !  " 

"Ah  !  It  is  the  good  in  me  that  boils.  It  is  be 
cause  I  have  too  much  sun  that  I  am  become  a 
withering,  blighting,  blasting  furnace.  O,  for 
breath  !  I  gasp  for  breath.  Tell  me,  ere  I  be 
come  a  cinder,  is  Ethel  Blentwood  an  angel?  Is 
she  a  seraph  ?  " 

"  No,  dear  fellow.  If  she  were,  what  man  of 
lesser  glory  could  hop.'  to  increase  her  happiness? 


328  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


It  is  enough  for  the  Lighthearts  of  earth  to  win 
seraphs  and  marry  mortals  !  " 

Charley  dropped  into  the  boat  collapsed,  de 
claring  in  an  exhausted  tone  of  voice,  "  You  have 
saved  me  on  the  very  brink  of  the  ashpit !  But 
have  you  no  praise  for  Carrie  as  a  mortal?" 

"  Carrie,"  I  answered,  in  his  own  language,  "  is 
a  lively  girl.  Yes,  I  may  say  without  qualifica 
tion,  she  is  lively." 

"That  is    reviving — talismanic,"  he    said,    sit 
ting  up. 

"  I  start,  I  move,  I  seem  to  feel 
The  thrill  of  life  from  head  to  heel!  "- 

which  is  partly  Longfellow  and  partly  Lightheart, 
the  one  risen  to  the  zenith  of  poetic  glory,  and 
the  other  just  rising  above  the  horizon." 

Saying  this,  he  put  on  his  hat,  and  began  to 
whistle. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

THE    STONE   WALL. 

-  took  dinner  that  day  on  a  little  island, 
and  found  the  Thornton  box  well  filled 
with  toothsome  and  nourishing  food.  We  ate 
heartily,  and  as  we  replaced  the  remaining  ear.- 
tablcs,  Charley  gleefully  exclaimed,  "  Two  square 
meals  more,  before  we  are  reduced  to  hard  tack 
and  dried  cheese  !  " 

We  re-embarked,  two  as  free  and  happy  fellows 
as  ever  sailed  down  the  Connecticut,  I  imagine, 
pleasing  ourselves  by  being  now  chatty  and 
now  silent  and  observant,  enjoying  to  the  full 
the  beautiful  visions  and  glorious  suggestions, 
which  came  to  us  from  shore  and  sky  and  water 
in  blissful  ignorance  of  any  reverse  of  good 
fortune. 

All  went  well  till  past  five  p.  m.,  when  our  craft 
rose  at  the  bow,  quivered,  and  stopped  so  sud 
denly  that  Charley,  at  that  moment  standing,  was 
laid  out  handsomely  at  full  length.  Staring  at 
me  with  a  queer  facial  expression,  he  called, 
"Why  don't  you  put  me  in  the  arms  of  my 
mother?"  Then,  looking  over  the  boat's  edge, 
he  muttered,  "  A  blow  on  the  head  has  made  me 

329 


330  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


see  stars  sometimes,   but   never  a  stone  wall  be 
fore  ! " 

"  That  is  what  it  looks  like,"  I  interjected. 

"  What !  a  stone  wall  across  tLe  bottom  of  the 
river?  A  likely  story  !" 

"  Tell  an  unlikely  one,  then  !  " 

Rubbing  his  eyes  he  looked  again,  asking,  as 
if  communing  with  himself,  "  Is  this  nigrescent 
air  playing  a  trick  with  my  senses?  or  have  we 
both  lost  our  wits?  "  He  tried  to  push  the  boat. 
It  stuck  fast.  Rolling  up  his  sleeve  he  reached 
down  and  felt  with  his  hand  the  rock  on  which 
the  bow  rested.  "  Sight  and  touch  agree,"  he 
murmured,  and  then  aloud, — •"  Say,  Bloomfield, 
there  wasn't  brandy  enough  in  that  pie  to  fuddle 
us?" 

"  Nonsense  !  There  was  no  brandy  in  it.  Aren't 
you  well  ?  " 

"  Never  better,  but  the  idea  of  a  stone  wall 
across  the  river  is  preposterous !  You  are  Bloom 
field,  aren't  you  ?" 

"Yes." 

"And  I  am  Lightheart  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  And  we  are  in  a  boat  together  on  the  Con 
necticut  River  ?  " 

"  We  are  supposed  to  be." 

"  There  is  no  mistake  in  our  identity  ?  " 

"  None." 

"And  still  you  say  with  me  that  we  are  aground 
on  a  stone  \vall  ?  " 

"  Yes." 


THE  STONE   WALL.  331 


"  Then  I  see  no  logical  escape  from  the  con 
clusion  that  drivelling  idiocy  is  staring  us  in  the 
face,  do  you  ?  " 

"  No  escape,   unless  there  is  a  stone  wall !  " 

"  That  is  absurd  on  the  face  of  it."  And  he 
pounded  his  head,  closed  and  opened  his  eyes, 
tried  various  experiments  to  test  his  mental 
acumen;  but  the  wall,  like  Banquo's  ghost,  would 
not  down  ;  neither  would  the  boat  move.  He 
mumbled  something  about  the  "  absurdest, 
blankest  blank  situation  !  "  and  then,  as  if  giving 
up  the  problem  in  despair,  he  lay  back  in  the 
boat  with  his  fingers  interlocked  behind  his  head, 
and  with  the  most  comical  expression  of  per 
plexity  imaginable,  said  : 

"  Chum,  the  next  thing  we  know,  if  we  ever 
know  anything  again,  we  shall  be  in  the  '  Great 
est  Show  on  Earth  !  '  as  curios  of  mental  de 
lusion." 

At  that  moment  the  thump  of  paddle-wheels 
fell  on  our  ears,  and  soon  a  steamboat,  some  dis 
tance  off,  went  steaming  unobstructed  up  the 
river. 

"  There  !  "  exclaimed  Charley,  that  proves  the 
falsity  of  our  stone  wall  craze.  But  what  puzzles 
me  is  why  our  senses  should  deceive  us." 

"  Our  senses  may  tell  the  truth,  Charley  ;  they 
only  say  it  looks  and  feels  like  a  wall,  and  the 
fault,  if  any,  may  lie  in  the  inference  we  draw, 
that  it  is  one." 

"I  enjoy  your  metaphysics;  please  go  on  a 
bit." 


332  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Well,  to  illustrate,  suppose  I  see  something 
in  a  tree  which  looks  like  a  crow,  and  at  once  call 
it  a  crow,  when  on  investigation  I  find  it  a  black 
knot  shaped  like  a  crow,  which  was  at  fault,  my 
eyes  or  my  mind  ?  " 

"  Your  mind  in  its  hasty  inference,  of  course. 
A  prudent  mind  will  reflect  that  things  are  not 
always  what  they  seem." 

"  Precisely.  Now  the  only  question  is,  are  we 
correct  in  the  inference,  that  our  boat  rests  on  a 
stone  wall,  because  appearances  so  indicate  ?  " 

"  That's  it.  Well,  Elbert  Bloomfield,  I  say 
there  is  no  stone  wall  here.  What  do  you 
say  ?  " 

"  I  say  just  what  pleases  you.  Excuse  my 
laugh,  which  is  one  of  great  admiration.  I  am 
proud  to  be  under  your  leadership.  You  have 
entire  command  henceforth." 

"  There  is  no  reason,  then,  why  we  should  not 
go  on,"  he  said  demurely,  and,  putting  down  the 
long  pole,  pushed  with  all  his  strength,  and  the 
next  moment  we  were  struggling  in  the  water 
amid  boughs  and  boxes  and  satchels  and  oars  and 
our  boat  bottom  upwards,  upon  each  end  of  which 
we  managed,  after  much  difficulty,  to  mount  and 
balance  ourselves  by  lying  face  downward.  A 
dense  fog  enveloped  the  banks,  and  we  could  not 
estimate  the  distance,  or  know  whether  the  shore 
at  this  point  was  accessible.  A  precarious  pre 
dicament,  and  yet  the  irrepressible  buoyancy  of 
Charley's  spirits  soon  asserted  itself,  and  he 
asked  : 


THE  STOXE   ll'ALL.  333 


"  How  do  you  like  my  leadership  ?  " 

"  The  \vay  you  took  us  over  that — that — ob 
struction,"  I  answered,  my  teeth  beginning  to 
chatter,  *'  was  something  more  than  skilful  navi 
gation,  it  was  splendid  strategy,  it  was  brilliant 
pyrotechnics,  and  had  it  imparted  its  warmth  to 
this  bath  it  would  have  filled  me  with  admi 
ration  !  " 

"  As  it  is,  it  only  filled  you  with  river  water," 
Charley  added,  raising  his  wet  face  to  mine. 

"  Merely  as  to  my  clothes,"  I  asserted,  "  my 
spirit  is  untouched,  it  is  not  even  damp.  But 
what  is  the  next  move,  Captain  ?  " 

"  Put  this  youngling  into  his  little  bed,  and 
accept  his  resignation  as  skipper,"  he  answered 
ruefully. 

"  I  cannot,  unless  your  resignation  is  in  writ 
ing,"  I  said  firmly. 

lie  raised  a  pitiful  look,  and  shook  his  pictur 
esque  head,  and  dolefully  exclaimed,  "  Then, 
indeed,  is  my  chagrin  inconsolable,  for  all  my  office 
material  is  floating  off — hatefully  floating  off  ! 
There  goes  the  Thornton  box  and  the  two  square 
meals  !  I'm  glad  I  ate  that  piece  of  pie,  I  hesi 
tated  about.  Some  things  are  safe,  after  all,  in 
this  uncertain  world  !  " 

"  You  are  not  on  land  yet,  Charley." 

"  I  know,  but  you  forget  that  I'm  fat,  and  it's 
a  long  way  the  fish  would  have  to  eat  to  reach 
that  pie!  Besides,  unless  you  object,  I  think  I'll 
pull  for  the  shore,  and  for  reasons  I  will  state." 

"  How  can   a   subordinate  object  ?     Remember 


334  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


you  are  captain  of  this  crew  till  your  written 
resignation  is  received.  But  go  on  with  your 
logic.  That  you  can  preserve  the  logician  in  these 
untoward  circumstances,  proves  your  fitness  for 
your  high  command." 

"  Well,  my  first  reason  is  that  I  can  swim  ; 
second,  I  find  it  hard  to  maintain  an  equilibrium 
on  this  slippery  boat's  back  ;  third,  to  remain  here 
endangers  my  health,  which  is  of  some  conse 
quence,  since  there  is  a  girl  by  the  name  of  Carrie 
in  the  world  ;  fourth,  I  am  not  happy  here,  and 
sigh  for  a  fire  and  dry  garments  on  terra-firma; 
fifth,  I  dislike  inaction,  and  unless  I  act  now  I 
shall  not  have  strength  to  act  at  all  ;  sixth,  if  I 
go  this  minute  I  can  explore  and  return  for  you  ; 
and  seventh,  I  hope  by  the  glimpse  of  a  light  on 
shore,  there  may  be  a  house  near  and  comfortable 
lodgings  for  two.  Are  my  reasons  satisfactory?" 

"  Amply  so,  my  dear  Captain,  especially  the 
seventh,  which  is  the  ancient  number  for  com 
pleteness,  as  it  would  seem  to  be  yours.  At  any 
rate,  it  is  complete  enough  for  me,  and  almost 
warms  me  to  think  of  it." 

"  Then,  like  Simon  Peter,  I  go  a-fishing — not, 
however,  as  a  fisher  of  fish,  or  of  men,  but  for  the 
sake  of  one  little  woman  and  yourself.  Au  revoir !  " 

"  Nay,  I  go  also.  Let  us  not  be  over-anxious 
to  get  on  fast.  Many  people  needlessly  drown 
by  not  keeping  cool." 

"  We  shall  be  cool  anyway  !  "  said  he,  slipping 
into  the  water.  I  followed,  and,  reaching  under 
the  boat,  found  to  my  joy,  a  board  seat,  which, 


THE  STOXE   WALL. 


335 


as  a  precaution,  I  drew  under  me,  and,  holding  it 
there  with  one  hand,  swam  with  the  other.  To 
our  great  relief  we  reached  the  shore  in  a  few 
minutes.  Tt  was  now  raining  hard.  We  climbed 
the  hank  with  some  difficulty,  and  at  once  set  out 
through  the  murk  and  mud  towards  a  light,  which 
glimmered  faintly  in  the  distance. 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

CHARLEY   IS   RECOGNIZED. 

A  S  the  silhouette  of  a  house  appeared  on  our 
**•  approach,  nearly  at  the  same  time  the  light 
disappeared  ;  but  we  found  a  door,  and  I  said  to 
Charley,  "  I  am  only  a  high  private  ;  it  is  your 
knock."  We  were  both  shaking  with  the  cold  so 
that  our  articulation  was  very  imperfect,  yet, 
though  the  preliminaries  to  a  fire  might  be  pro 
longed,  I  could  not  resist  so  unique  an  opportunity 
of  enjoying  his  odd  way  of  doing  things.  He 
knocked  gently  at  first,  and  then  banged  the  door 
till  a  man's  head  was  thrust  out  of  an  upper 
window,  when  a  hoarse  voice  started  the  follow* 
ing  dialogue  : 

"  Who's  there  ?  " 

"  It  is  I." 

"  Well,  who  is  I  ?  " 

"  Don't  you  know  me  ?  " 

"  No." 

"  Well,  I  don't  wonder.  I  scarcely  know  my 
self  this  dark  night,  wet  and  dripping  like  a 
drowned  rat !  " 

"  Do  you  know  me?  " 

"  Know  you  !     Do  you  suppose  a  man  of  your 
generous  hospitality  can  hide  under  a  bushel?  " 
336 


CHA  KL  X  Y  IS  RE  C  O  GA  rfZED.  337 


"  But  who  the  devil  are  you  anyway  ?  " 

"  Please  don't  introduce  me  to  your  friend,  till 
I  am  more  presentable." 

"  What  friend  ?  " 

"  Why,  the  one  you  just  spoke  of — Devil,  I 
think  you  called  him." 

"  Te,  he  !  I  guess  you  don't  need  no  interduc- 
tion  ter  him.  Yer  voice  sounds  'ef  he'd  got  ther 
upper  hands  on  ye  ready." 

"  Well,  my  good  friend,  you  must  remember 
that  your  river-water  is  intoxicating  when  taken 
continuously,  of  a  cold  night,  by  an  immersion  of 
two  hours'  duration  ;  and,  so,  we  want  you  to 
warm  and  lodge  two  of  the  best  fellows  you  ever 
saw — sort  of  angels  unawares,  you  know." 

"  Where's  t'other  feller  ?  " 

"  There  he  is  under  that  tree,  tongue-tied  with 
the  cold,  waiting  for  the  glow  of  your  hospitable 
fire." 

"  Did  you  say  you  are  wet  ?  " 

"  Perhaps  you  have  the  knack  of  soaking  two 
hours  in  the  water  and  keeping  dry,  but  we 
haven't  learned  the  knack  in  Massachusetts." 

''  Where  did  you  say  you  came  from  ?  " 

''  From  the  bottom  of  the  river,  of  course; 
where  do  you  suppose  we  came  from?  " 

"  Lost  anything  there." 

"  Everything." 

"  Why  didn't  ye  tell  that  before?" 

He  took  in  his  bushy  head,  and  then  thrust  it 
out  with  the  following  result  : — 

"  Have  you  a  lantern  ?  " 


338  SHIPS  />' Y  DAY. 


"  Lantern  !  How  can  a  man  from  the  bottom 
of  the  river  be  supposed  to  have  a  lantern  ?  " 

"  Oh  !  "  And  the  head  disappeared,  when, 
after  a  small  cyclone,  evinced  by  tumbling  chairs 
and  tables,  a  slender  shaft  of  light  shot  through 
the  small  window-panes,  the  door  was  unbarred, 
and,  in  nocturnal  habit,  our  bushy  friend  stood 
enframed  before  us. 

"  Come  ter  think  on't,"  he  said,  "  my  boat's 
unfit  ter  use,  and  lantern's  broke,  and  ye  might 
as  well  come  in,  I  reckin,  and  let  yer  stuff  wait 
till  mornin'." 

We  entered  a  large  and  disorderly-looking 
room,  which  served  for  kitchen,  dining-room  and 
parlor  combined.  An  ancient  cook-stove  stood 
in  a  large  old-fashioned  fire-place,  with  one  length 
of  funnel  up  chimney. 

"  We're  just  settlin,"  said  our  host,  commencing 
at  once  to  build  a  roaring  fire,  "  but  I  reckin  I 
can  make  ye  as  much  ter  hum  as  ye  was  in  the 
river — te,  he  !  "  The  tea-kettle  was  soon  singing, 
and,  pouring  us  out  two  cups  of  hot  water,  he 
declared,  "  That's  as  stimerlatin  as  brandy.  I 
found  that  out  at  Saratog  where  I  worked  a  spell 
rubbin'  down  the  dudes  arter  a  hot  bath,  in  Dr. 
Bedortha's  water-cure.  Ye  orter  seen  um  dance 
when  they  came  out  the  hot  tub  and  I  throwed 
three  or  four  pails  of  cold  water  on  um  as  tight 
as  I  could  throw  !  I  can  see  um  hop  now — te, 
he,  he!  ho,  ho,  ho — o!  I'm  the  feller  to  tend  to 
ye." 

As  the  heat  began  to  creep  satisfactorily  into 


CHA RLE  Y  IS  RE  CO GNIZED.  339 


our  nerves,  he  placed  us,  denuded  of  our  clothing, 
one  after  the  other,  into  a  \vashtub,  and  turned 
\varm  water  on  our  shoulders,  and  then,  throwing' 
over  us  a  sheet  previously  warmed,  rubbed  us 
until  we  glowed  and  cried  enough.  He  then 
rolled  us  up  in  warm  blankets  and  quilts,  till  we 
looked  like  mummies,  and  laid  us  on  a  cot-bed  in 
front  of  the  stove.  Wringing  out  our  clothes, 
and  hanging  them  over  the  stove  well  filled  with 

o        o 

wood,  (in  the  meantime  solving  the  stone-wall 
mystery),  he  went  up  to  bed,  assuring  us,  with  a 
"  te,  he  !  "  that  we  would  come  out  "  chic  and 
peert  in  the  mornin'." 

By  hugging  the  shore  too  closely  we  had,  it 
seems,  got  into  a  recently  formed  arm  of  the 
river,  across  which  had  been  built  a  wall  previous 
to  the  washing  away  of  an  embankment  and  the 
resulting  overflow. 

\Ve  slept  a  little,  and  dreamed,  and  tossed 
much,  until  the  morning  hours  warned  us  that 
the  family  would  soon  be  down.  To  our  joy  our 
clothes  were  quite  dry,  and  we  were  hastily  get 
ting  into  them,  when  our  host  appeared.  Some 
thing  in  Charley's  incomplete  toilet  seemed  to  re 
mind  him  of  the  past;  for  he  stared  at  him,  and 
then,  coming  nearer,  bent  forward  with  his  hands 
on  his  knees,  and,  looking  him  straight  in  the  eye, 
began  to  grin. 

"  Golly,  and  by  jiminy  !  "  he  burst  out,  "  ef  ye 
don't  look  like  the  ghost  what  raised  the  price  of 
my  mule  !  Say,  did  ye  ever  ride  a  vicious  white 
mule? — te,  he,  he  !  I'll  be  dogonned  ter  hokey 


3  40  SIIJ PS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


ef  you  ain't  the  same  chap  !  Jimminy-crack-corn  ! 
It's  you  just  like  a  mice  !  Ef  this  ain't  a  treat, 
the  demnition  bowwows  take  me  !  " 

He  began  to  see-saw  with  laughter,  holding  his 
sides,  when  (and  just  as  Charley  had  got  envel 
oped  in  pantaloons)  the  hostess  came  down,  and 
he  exclaimed  : 

"  Marm,  this  is  the  feller  that  frightened  me  so 
like  the  devil,  a  settin'  on  the  barnyard  post  in 
his  white  clothes  ! — Hi,  hi  !  ho,  ho  !  oh  !  ho,  ho, 
ho — o  !  You  are  a  little  the  beatenest,  queerest 
cuss  I  ever  seed,  and  I  tell  ye,  I'm  eely  most 
tickled  ter  death  ter  see  ye.  Ef  ye  ain't  welcome 
to  my  bed  and  board,  then  take  me  ter  heaven 
this  minute  !  " 

"  You  did  us  a'  good  turn,  mister,"  said  "  marm," 
a  masculine,  but  good-natured  looking  woman, 
"  and  paw  has  been  mighty  tickled  about  it  ever 
since." 

"  Tickled  !  Well,  I  never  !  "  ejaculated  the  host. 
"  Why,  it  split  me  every  time  I  thought  on't,  and 
it  does  seem  as  ef  I'd  never  git  the  idee  out  o' 
my  ticklin,  spot,  the  hull  thing  was  that  queer — 
the  queerest  in  all  my  born  days.  And  what 
makes  the  laugh  on  the  right  side  o'  my  mouth 
is,  that  that  ar  mule  is  as  do-cile  as  a  lamb,  and  I 
could  git  a  big  price  for  him.  I  put  him  ter  work 
that  very  day  a  movin'  down  here,  and  now 
(slapping  his  knee)  I'm  pretty  well  fixed  for  n 
rise  in  the  world,  as  the  dough  said,  with  the 
emptins  under  it.  You  see,  t'other  farm  I  worked 
ter  haK^s;  but  this  ere  one  is  mine,  when  I  finish 


CH A  RLE  Y  JS  R '/:' C 0 G\\ 'JZl'.D.  341 


payin  for  it  ;  and  I  shall  pay  for  it  much  quicker 
for  the  boost  you've  gin  me." 

We  were  congratulating  him  on  his  improved 
prospects,  and  ourselves  especially  for  having 
fallen  into  so  good  hands,  when  "  marm  "  said, 
"  Breakfast  is  ready,  paw."  We  sat  down  to  a 
much  better  meal  than  we  expected;  and  when 
we  took  out  our  wallets,  our  host  and  hostess 
flatly  refused  to  allow  any  of  our  money  to  be  left 
at  their  house,  not  even  with  the  young  hopeful, 
their  only  son.  It  was  broad  daylight,  and  our 
host  said  we  must  be  off  looking  for  our  plunder, 
lie  led  the  way  to  the  river,  and  soon  discovered 
the  boat  near  shore,  and  wading  in,  hauled  it  to 
land,  and  emptied  out  the  water.  The  scats,  oars, 
tent,  food  and  housekeeping  conveniences  were 
all  gone,  and  no  trace  of  them  could  be  found. 

"  Uon't  spose  yer  wanter  sell  this  ere  craft,  do 
ye?"  said  he,  examining  the  boat  with  care. 

"Shall  we  turn  landlubbers?"  I  asked  Charley. 

"  It  looks  like  Hobson's  choice,"  he  answered, 
at  the  same  time  scribbling  his  resignation  as 

o  o 

captain  on  a  scrap  of  paper,  and  handing  it  to 
me  with  a  polite  bow. 

"  It  is  reluctantly  accepted,"  I  said,  "  and  though 
your  captaincy  ends,  your  genius  as  navigator, 
and  especially  the  wonderful  skill  with  which  you 
jumped  our  vessel  over  a  stone  \vall  will  always  be 
admiringly  remembered." 

"  Te,  he  !  That's  a  good  un  !  "  laughed  our 
would-be  purchaser,  looking  up  in  time  to  hear 
the  last  remark.  "  1  swanny,  ef  you  ain't  the 


342  SI/ I  PS  B\  DAY. 


very  fust  pious  fellers  that  ever  made  me  wanter 
go  ter  Heaven  !  Most  o'  them  kind  o'  chaps  al- 
lus  seem  ter  feel  so  bad  'cause  they  expected  ter 
go  up  thar,  that  I  made  up  my  mind  I  should 
have  ter  go  down  t'other  way  ter  have  a  good  time, 
and  feel  ter  hum  !  " 

"  I  hope  you  will  change  your  mind,"  I  said, 
grasping  him  by  the  hand  ;  "  for  a  Christian  is 
the  only  one  who  has  the  right  to  be  brimful  and 
running  over  with  fun  and  good  cheer  ;  and,  un 
less  suffering,  he  ought  to  feel  it  a  sin  to  wear  a 
long  face,  or  be  anything  less  than  thankfully, 
joyously,  happy.  It  is  ungrateful  to  be  other 
wise." 

"Wall,  the  pious  dumps  I've  met  mostly,  allus 
seem  ter  me  ter  have  somethin'  in  um  that  hurt 
um,  and,  as  I  don't  want  that  kind  o'  stuff  in  me, 
I've  ginerally  managed  ter  shun  their  chin  music. 
They  act  as  ef  they  were  tryin'  ter  please  ther 
Lord  by  bein'  miserable  ;  and  either  they've  got 
the  Lord  and  Devil,  and  Heaven  and  Hell  aw 
fully  mixed  up,  or  my  idees  of  common-sense  are 
mightily  twisted  outer  jint — one  or  t'other." 

"  Narrow  Christians  do  their  cause  much  harm, 
my  good  friend,  and  I  hope  you  will  become  a 
thoroughly  converted,  whole-hearted,  joy-beaming 
and  love-o'erflowing  Christian,  and  set  the  mis 
guided  an  example.  And  now,  to  come  back  to 
business,  what  can  you  afford  to  give  for  the 
boat?" 

"  I  hain't  tin  enough  about  my  trow^sers  ter 
mor'n  half  pay  for  her  ;  but  I  think  I  can  make 


CHARLEY  IS  RECOGNIZED.  343 


her  pay  for  herself  this  Summer  a-lettin'  her,  ef  ye 
can  trust  me  for  the  balance." 

"  Well,  let  me  have  what  you  can  spare,  and  I 
will  leave  it  to  you  when  to  send  the  rest,  and 
how  much."  I  took  his  money,  giving  him  my 
address,  and,  being  unencumbered  with  luggage, 
we  were  ready  to  start  for  the  railroad  station, 
which,  we  learned,  was  much  nearer  across  fields 
than  by  road  ;  and,  preferring  to  walk,  we  refused 
our  host's  proffered  "  wagin,"  accepting,  instead, 
his  pump-handle  grip,  as  we  took  his  rough  hand, 
and  said  good-bye.  We  left  him,  happy  in  his 
new  possessions,  scratching  his  head  and  grin 
ning,  looking  alternately  at  the  boat  and  at  us,  as 
if  there  must  be  some  doubt  about  his  identity 
and  great  good-luck.  "  By  jimminy  !  "  were  the 
last  words  we  heard  him  say,  and,  when  we  turned 
and  waved  our  hands  at  him,  he  threw  his  hat 
high  into  the  air  like  a  school-boy. 

"  That  fellow  is  a  phenomenon,  and,  in  by 
words,  a  cosmopolitan,"  observed  Charley,  laugh 
ing.  "  Do  you  expect  a  remittance?" 

"If  the  boat  earns  it.  At  any  rate  he  is  happy, 
and,  since  he  has,  perhaps,  saved  us  from  illness, 
I  am  satisfied." 

"  I  think  he  intends  now  to  pay  it,  and  may,  if 
he  earns  it  before  the  story  becomes  old  ;  but  I 
doubt  if  you  get  another  penny,  Elbert." 

"Well,  Charley,  let  us  wait,  and  see  which  of 
us  has  read  the  deepest  into  this  man's  character, 
lie  is  uneducated  and  in  the  rough  more  than  any 
New  Englander  I  ever  met  ;  but  if  he  has  not  a 


344  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


homely  honesty,  which  will  put  to  shame  the 
polished  exterior  of  many  a  city  gentleman,  I  am 
greatly  deceived." 

We  were  now  crossing  an  old  pasture,  and,  pick 
ing  up  a  stone  which  attracted  my  attention,  and, 
finding  it  light  for  its  size,  I  broke  it  open  care 
fully,  and,  as  I  anticipated,  found  it  hollow  and 
lined  with  beautiful  crystals.  This  geode,  which 
we  divided  between  us  as  a  souvenir  of  our  jour 
ney,  quickened  our  mutual  taste  for  geologizing, 
and  we  entered  the  station  reluctantly,  our  walk 
and  studies  having  been  so  delightfully  recreative 
and  inspiring. 

"  Did  you  ever  see  two  happier  fellows  than  we 
are  ?  "  Charley  asked,  as  we  sat  down  in  a  cool 
corner — "just  as  happy  without  a  boat,  as  with 
one  ;  when  facing  an  advancing  robber,  as  when 
he  ignominiously  retreats  ;  on  the  slippery  bot 
tom  of  an  upturned  boat,  as  on  dry  land  ;  with 
teeth  chattering  before  a  stranger's  door,  as  when 
rubbed  down  and  warmed  and  fed  by — by- — our 
bushy-headed  bath-man  !  " 

"  Well,  well  !  "  I  exclaimed  ;  "  neither  of  us  can 
tell  that  man's  name  !  " 

"  His  name  is  Paw,"  said  Charley,  and  this, 
suggesting  a  panorama  too  vivid  for  anything 
more  than  interjections,  we  lost  our  dignity,  and 
laughed  immoderately,  unreasonably,  till  the 
natives  stared. 

"You'd  be  too  tired  to  laf  like  that,  if  you'd 
broke  up  a  quarter  of  an  acre  of  sward  ground,  as 
I  have  this  morning,"  declared  an  old  farmer, 


CHARLEY  IS  RECOGNIZED.  345 


rather  enviously,  as  he  halted  in  the  door,  goad- 
stick  in  hand. 

"  We  broke  up  more  than  that  several  hours 
ago,"  Charley  controlled  himself  to  say. 

"How  much  did  you  break  up,  I  wonder?" 
asked  the  incredulous  farmer. 

'•  We  broke  up  all  our  calculations,"  Charley 
replied  soberly,  and  that  made  the  laugh  unani 
mous,  the  tired  farmer  being  as  much  pleased  as 
anybody,  and  he  turned  to  go  out,  guessing  he 
could  plough  the  next  quarter  acre  easier  for  that 
pun. 

"  You  can  do  everything  easier,"  Charley  as 
serted,  "  if  you  will  adopt  our  creed." 

"  What  might  that  be  ?  "  the  fanner  asked,  ex 
pecting  another  joke. 

"  It  is  the  belief,  and  living  up  to  the  level  of 
your  belief,  that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  mis 
fortune,  except,  as  my  friend  here  says,  doing 
wrong." 

"  That's  a  short  creed  ;  but  it's  mighty  hard 
packed  with  meat ! — mor'n  the  teeth  in  my  poor 
brain  can  gnaw  just  yet.  No  use  tryin'  to  catch 
a  weasel  asleep.  Good-bye,  Mr.  Weasel  !  "  This 
compliment  brought  down  the  house,  and  the 
good  old  fanner  left  for  his  plough,  with  a  help 
ful  thought  in  his  heart,  amid  cheers  and  explosive 
laughter. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

THE   WILLIAMSBURG   FLOOD.* 

\A/E  had  not  got  enough  of  rustic  life  and  were 
wishing  ourselves  among  the  Berkshire 
hills,  or  that  we  had  some  other  than  a  public 
conveyance,  when  a  couple  of  Yale  boys  from 
New  Haven  walked  into  the  station,  one  of  whom 
proving  to  be  Charley's  classmate  who  played  the 
guitar  at  the  Negro  dance  I  had  witnessed  near 
Dr.  Blentwood's,  and  who  was  now  studying  for 
the  degree  of  LL.B.  As  we  have  not  introduced 
him  to  the  reader,  we  will  not  do  so  now,  only 
remarking  that  he  is  to-day  one  of  the  most  use 
ful  men  of  New  England,  and  has  solemnly  prom 
ised  not  to  reveal  our  identity.  They  had  come 
in  a  two-seated  carriage,  and  were  expecting  two 
classmates  on  the  next  train  to  join  them  at  this 
station  ;  but  as  they  kindly  failed  to  appear,  we 
were  gladly  offered  and  as  gladly  accepted,  their 
places,  and  were  soon  a  merry  party  of  four  young 
men  on  our  way  north  over  the  most  unfre 
quented  roads  along  the  hill  towns  of  Connec 
ticut  and  Massachusetts. 

As  the  incidents   of  this  most  enjoyable   trip 

*  The  flood  occurred  Saturday,  May  16;  but  the  slight  anach 
ronism  must  be  forgiven  for  reasons  best  known  to  the  author. 
346 


THE   WILLIAMSBURG  FLOOD. 


347 


arc  not  necessary  to  our  story,  suffice  it  to  say 
that,  after  sufficient  wanderings,  we  found  our 
selves  at  an  evening  party  in  a  little  village,  the 
home  of  Charley's  friend.  Here  the  people  were 
greatly  excited  over  the  Mill  River  flood,  caused 
by  the  bursting  of  the  Williamsburg  dam,  of 
which  the  daily  papers  had  been  full  for  many 
days.  They  read  over  and  over  the  early  as  well 
as  the  latest  details,  which  the  "  Springfield 
Republican  "  and  "  Springfield  Union  "  had  shown 
great  enterprise  in  giving,  and  eagerly  sought 
the  more  distant  Boston  and  New  York  papers 
for  what  additional  accounts  and  illustrations 
they  might  contain. 

Some  idea  of  the  wide-spread  sympathy  aroused 
by  this  disaster  may  be  formed  from  the  fact  that 
George  Bliss,  a  wealthy  merchant  of  New  York, 
subscribed  $6o,OOO,  and  the  Connecticut  Legisla 
ture  voted  $10,000  for  the  sufferers,  whose  afflic 
tion  was  declared  to  be  unparalleled  in  history. 
A  mountain  reservoir  had  broken  away  about 
eight  o'clock  in  the  morning,  and  a  few  minutes 
later,  Williamsburg,  Skinnerville,  Ilaydenville, 
and  Leeds,  four  manufacturing  villages,  which, 
the  day  previous,  were  the  abode  of  industry, 
peace  and  plenty,  were  almost  wholly  wiped  out 
of  existence,  and  138  human  lives  lost,  to  say 
nothing  of  domestic  animals.  An  appeal  had 
been  made  for  volunteers,  provided  with  shovels, 
crowbars,  etc.,  and  it  was  estimated  that  a  thou 
sand  men  were  at  work  one  day,  recovering  the 
dead  bodies  of  men,  women  and  children,  buried 


348  SUITS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


in  the  sand  and  other  debris,  and  it  was  this 
appeal,  though  several  days  old,  which  changed 
our  plans,  perhaps  the  whole  course  of  our  lives. 

It  was  now  Thursday,  and,  leaving  our  friends, 
who  had  other  duties,  Charley  and  I  reached 
Florence  that  night,  which  had  suffered  only  in 
loss  of  property,  and  the  next  morning,  with  one 
spade  between  us  and  a  try-stick,  we  started  early 
for  the  scene  of  sad  activity,  and  found  that  a 
once  fertile  valley  had,  indeed,  become  a  desert. 
The  broad  meadow  lands  above  Florence  were 
covered  with  sand  two  or  three  feet  deep  and 
with  thousands  of  cords  of  timber  and  build 
ing  material,  some  of  which  was  crushed  and 
ground  to  splinters. 

Farther  on  towards  Leeds  appeared  household 
furniture,  becoming  more  and  more  abundant  as 
we  advanced,  and  then  mingled  with  this,  as  we 
went  on,  and  half  buried  in  sand  and  gravel 
were  large  quantities  of  wearing  apparel  of  both 
sexes,  portions  of  Bibles,  hymn-books,  photograph 
albums,  mantel  ornaments,  every  step  carrying 
our  thoughts  away  from  things,  and  closer  and 
closer  to  persons  —  away  from  the  loss  of 
property  to  the  loss  of  human  life.  Parts  of 
cradles  and  their  bedding  were  strewn  every 
where,  and  when,  in  addition  to  these,  we  came 
upon  broken  dolls  and  children's  playthings  and 
babies'  shoes  and  socks  and  dresses,  and  thought 
of  the  music  of  pattering  feet  and  innocent  voices 
stilled  forever,  and  happy  homes  so  suddenly,  and 
apparently  so  needlessly,  swept  out  of  existence, 


THE   IVILLIAMSBURG  FLOOD.  349 


it  was  enough  to  make  the  heart  ache  and  tears 
to  flow  from  eyes  unaccustomed  to  weep. 

It  being  early,  we  met  no  one  to  give  us  speci 
fic  directions,  and  so  travelled  on,  examining  every 
pile  of  sand  not  already  dug  over,  especially 
where  protruded  any  human  garments.  Some 
thing  in  one  of  these  mounds  yielded  suspiciously 
to  the  pressure  of  my  stick,  regaining  its  original 
position  when  the  pressure  was  removed.  I  called 
to  Charley,  who  came  with  his  spade,  and,  after 
much  labor,  we  extricated  from  the  limbs  of  an 
overturned  and  completely  buried  tree,  denuded 
of  its  bark  by  the  rough  scrapings  of  the  torrent, 
sand  and  rubbish,  a  much-torn  plush  sacque, 
empty,  however,  of  any  human  body,  but  pro 
truding  from  one  of  the  pockets  was  a  letter 
which  I  took  out,  thinking  it  might  be  of  value 
to  some  one.  It  was  much  stained,  but  the 
superscription  was  sufficiently  plain,  it  seemed  to 
me — too  plain  for  my  peace  of  mind,  and  yet  I 
could  not  believe  my  eyes.  My  hands  trembled 
so  I  could  not  hold  the  letter. 

"  Take  it  Charley,"  I  said,  "  read  the  address 
carefully,  and  make  no  mistake." 

I  walked  about  while  he  examined  it,  until  at 
length,  getting  better  control  of  myself,  I  stopped 
in  front  of  him.  His  blanched  countenance  told 
me  that  I  was  right.  I  turned  away. 

"  Yes,"  he  said,  "  the  name  is  certainly  Ethel 
Blentwood,  but  this  does  not  prove  anything." 

"  That  is  so,"  I  responded,  catching  at  a  faint 
hope.  "  To  what  town  is  it  directed?  " 


350  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Williamsburg,"  was  the  answer. 

My  spirits  fell  again.  Still  there  was  no  proof 
that  Ethel  Blentwood  wras  drowned,  only  a  fear 
ful  presumption. 

"  I  will  not  believe  it,"  I  said.  "  God  would 
not  allow  it ;  for  she  has  a  mission  yet.  But  I 
must  know  the  worst.  Let  us  go  to  Williams- 
burg  at  once." 

We  made  a  sand-pile  to  mark  the  place  and 
started.  We  passed  Leeds  and  Haydenville,  or 
rather  where  they  had  stood,  almost  unheeding, 
though  destruction,  wrreck  and  ruin,  and  desola 
tion  were  everywhere.  Not  a  road  or  bridge 
could  be  seen,  though  of  the  latter  there  had 
been  some  fine  structures  of  iron  and  stone. 
Not  a  particle  of  soil  or  green  thing  was  left 
anywhere,  nothing  but  stones  and  gravel  and 
sand,  and  it  did  not  seem  credible  that  there 
ever  \vas  such  a  thing  as  a  grass  plot  in  all  that 
valley. 

At  Skinnerville,  which  was  completely  wiped 
out  except  the  main  part  of  Mr.  Skinner's  man 
sion,  not  even  a  cellar  remained  visible.  On  the 
outer  edge  of  the  flood-track  were  a  few  houses 
not  demolished,  but  standing  on  their  ends,  sides, 
roofs,  and  even  cornerwise,  supported  in  these 
positions  by  sand,  gravel  and  rubbish  piled  up 
about  them.  At  Williamsburg,  which  was  struck 
in  the  lower  part  of  the  village,  we  were  told  by 
eye-witnesses  that  the  flood,  like  a  hill  or  wall  of 
water  thirty  to  forty  feet  high,  and  preceded  by 
a  cloud  of  dust  and  mist,  came  down  the  gulch 


THE   WIIJJAMSBURG  FLOOD.  351 


seething,  boiling,  thundering,  like  the  rapids  of 
Niagara,  scattering  and  destroying  everything  in 
its  way.  Mammoth  trees  bowed  down  before  it, 
or  snapped  like  a  reed  shaken  in  the  wind.  There 
was  no  time  for  reflection.  Within  fifteen  min 
utes  the  flood  had  passed,  and  the  saved  came 
down  from  high  places  to  find  their  families,  or 
other  near  and  dear  ones,  dead  and  gone. 

But  these  things  were  incidental  to  our  search, 
and  forced  upon  us.  We  did  not  seek  to  learn  of 
anything  except  the  one  object  we  had  in  view. 
People  were  now  fast  gathering,  and  moving  about 
with  sad  countenances.  We  met  the  Reverend 
E.  R.  Thorndike,  pastor  of  the  M.  E.  Church, 
who  had  officiated  on  a  previous  day  at  twenty- 
eight  burial  services,  and  was  familiar  with  the 
names  of  many  of  the  lost,  but  none  bearing  the 
name  on  our  letter  was  among  them.  We  secured 
the  latest  list  of  the  dead  and  missing ;  but  the 
object  of  our  search  was  not  there.  This,  how 
ever  reassuring,  did  not  relieve  our  anxiety.  We 
went  to  the  post-office  ;  no  one  there  remembered 
delivering  the  letter. 

"  Charley,"  I  said,  "  you  are  an  old  acquaintance 
of  the  family  ;  it  will  be  proper  for  you  to  tele 
graph  an  inquiry  whether  Ethel  is  at  home." 

"  Yes,"  he  replied,  "  but  the  lines  are  not  yet 
repaired,  I  think." 

I  caught  a  glimpse  of  a  familiar  form  through 
the  window,  and  rushed  out,  followed  by  Charley. 

"  Doctor  Blentwood  !  "  we  both  exclaimed  in 
one  breath. 


352  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Well,  well !  "  he  responded,  as  much  surprised 
as  we,  cordially  grasping  and  holding  a  hand  of 
each  of  us,  ^  this  is  sunlight  on  a  dark  picture. 
You  look  as  good  as  new,  Brother  Bloomfield,  and 
you,  Charley,  never  had  any  rain  fall  into  your 
life,  Longfellow  notwithstanding." 

"Are  you  all  well  at  home?"  I  broke  in,  wish 
ing  to  end  the  suspense  at  once. 

"  They  were  when  I  left.  I  have  been  on  the 
wing  since,  and  so  have  not  heard  from  them. 
The  sad  scenes  here  enacted  make  me  long  for 
the  good  old  home  which  Ethel  has  saved  to  me, 
and  made  so  bright  and  cheerful  since  the  death 
of  my  dear  wife.  She  is  all  I  have  now,  and  the 
family  separations  by  this  flood  are  brought  home 
to  me  with  great  force.  I  have  come  here  on  my 
return  to  learn  what  God  has  to  say  in  this  great 
disaster ;  for  I  must  preach  on  it  Sunday." 

"  I  wish  I  could  hear  you,  doctor,"  I  said,  not 
yet  daring  to  make  known  our  discovery. 

"  Come  home  with  me,  and  help  voice  this  ter 
rible  event  to  my  people.  I  have  a  feeling  that 
we  should  not  differ  in.  the  meaning  of  it ;  but, 
however  that  may  be,  I  am  only  anxious  that  this 
lesson  may  not  go  unheeded,  and  that  God  be  as 
fully  heard  and  understood  as  possible.  Besides, 
I  should  like  to  have  you  take  my  place  one  or 
two  Sundays,  so  that  Ethel  and  I  may  go  on  a 
little  journey.  My  library  and  home  shall  be  at 
your  service,  and  you  may  rule  monarch  of  all 
you  survey." 

"  I  cannot  fill  your  place,  but  shall  be  glad  to 


THE   MTLLfAMSBURG  FLOOD. 


353 


try,"  I  replied,  but  with  a  voice  a  little  unsteady, 
and,  as  I  had  betrayed  myself,  and  not  knowing 
how  else  to  proceed,  I  handed  him  the  letter 
addressed  to  his  daughter,  at  the  same  time 
explaining  how  it  came  into  our  possession. 

He  took  it  with  trembling  hands;  tears  came 
into  his  eyes,  and,  with  a  voice  choked  with  emo 
tion,  he  said  : 

"  I  left  Ethel  with  her  cousin  at  Northampton, 
and  they  were  to  visit  Florence,  I  believe,  but 
were  not  coming  to  Williamsburg  so  far  as  I  know. 
Let  us  take  the  next  train  ;  for  we  arc  not  needed 
here,  and  should  only  fill  the  places  of  better  men. 
Besides,  your  company  is  a  necessity  to  me  now, 
though  I  am  quite  confident  that  Ethel  is  safe  at 
home  ;  for  she  did  not  wear  a  plush  sacque,  and, 
moreover,  I  think  God  will  not  kill  me  just  yet. 
When  I  can  see  her  well  provided  for,  I  may  then 
look  for  the  great  summons  any  time  ;  but — 

lie  did  not  finish  the  sentence,  and,  taking  him 
between  us,  Charley  and  I  supported  his  trem 
bling  steps  to  the  station  where  we  took  the  train 
for  Graynoble.  When  we  arrived,  the  house  was 
well  lighted,  and,  to  our  immense  relief,  Ethel 
was  there  to  receive  us,  and  a  delicious  supper 
was  in  waiting,  for  she  was  expecting  her  father. 
The  doctor  embraced  his  daughter  with  unwonted 
affection  and  tenderness,  and  she  explained  the 
wave-washed  letter  by  the  fact  that  her  cousin  had 
addressed  her  at  Williamsburg  the  very  day  the 
doctor  had  left  her  at  Northampton,  supposing 
her  to  be  there  with  an  old  schoolmate,  who  was 
23 


354  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  have  had  a  class  reunion.  It  seemed  that  the 
servant  girl  who  went  for  the  mail  that  fatal  Satur 
day  morning,  got  caught  someway  in  the  flood, 
and  was  carried  away.  Her  body  was  found 
entirely  denuded  of  clothing,  which  accounts  for 
the  separate  finding  of  the  tattered  sacque  con 
taining  the  letter. 

It  would  be  difficult  to  describe  my  feelings  on 
taking  once  more  the  hand  of  Ethel  Blentwood. 
As  I  held  it  and  looked  into  her  lovely  eyes,  the 
same  thrill  I  had  felt  before  swept  through  me  ; 
but  I  could  not  tell  how  far  the  cry  of  my  heart 
awakened  a  responsive  answer  in  hers.  Inclined 
to  be  self-depreciating,  I  felt  uncertain,  and  so 
unreasonably  disappointed. 

As  I  retired  that  night  I  called  to  mind  Theo- 
docia  Thornton  and  her  great  love  for  some  one, 
so  confidingly  revealed  to  me,  and  thought  how 
blessed  it  would  be  to  have  such  love  !  Consti 
tuted  as  I  was,  it  would  be  more  to  me  than  all 
the  wealth  of  the  world.  I  could  not  beai  to 
think  of  mere  prudential  ideas  entering  into  the 
motives  which  weld  the  bonds  of  wedlock.  I 
trembled  at  the  very  idea  of  a  home  in  which 
entered  anything  short  of  the  purest  devotion  and 
the  most  complete  abandonment  of  self. 

As  much  as  I  loved  Ethel,  I  could  not  wish  her 
to  become  my  wife  so  long  as  there  was  a  doubt 
of  her  returning  my  affection  in  full.  I  must  love, 
if  at  all,  with  my  whole  being,  and  I  saw  no  hope 
of  making  her  life  a  happy  one,  if  I  could  not 
express  myself  strongly  without  the  consciousness 


THE  WILLIAMSBURG  FLOOD.  355 


of  a  check,  however  slight.  I  could  not  be  satisfied 
with  that  general  sort  of  love  which  is  so  common 

o 

among  married  people.  To  wake  up  after  marri 
age  to  find  I  was  only  receiving  a  fraction  in  return 
for  the  whole  I  had  given,  would  be  a  horrid  rev 
elation  too  terrible  to  contemplate.  The  wreck  of 
my  happiness  might  involve  the  wreck  of  hers  also 
and  others  ;  for  I  felt  sure  I  should  fail  to  make 
her  life  round  and  full,  unless  her  heart  was  unre 
servedly  mine.  If  her  life  could  be  fuller  of 
meaning  with  another  than  with  me,  it  were  better 
to  see  her  wedded  to  that  other  ;  but  how  it  would 
tear  me  to  see  her  tied  to  one  incapable  of  appre 
ciating  her!  O,  I  must  win  her  love,  I  thought, 

o  B  o         ' 

to  save  her   from    that   cunning,  heartless   Stock- 
mire — "  that  pampered,  oversated,  stall-fed  beast 
of  selfishness  !  "    At  least,  I  must  protect  her,  and 
if  my  mission  ends  there,  God's  will  be  done  ! 
In  all  these  musings  I  did  not  entertain  a  single 

o  o 

suspicion,  that  Ethel  would  not  deal  honestly 
with  me,  or  that  her  ideal  of  love  and  home  was 
not  as  high  as  mine.  I  was  only  reassuring  my 
self  of  the  folly  of  wishing  to  marry  her,  unless 
her  heart  could  repose  blissfully  in  mine,  and  never 
wish  for  another  home.  That  she  was  above  me 
nerd  not  in  itself  separate  us  ;  for  Jesus  was  above 
his  disciples. 

Charley  Lightheart,  who  slept  with  me,  had  also 
his  thoughts,  which,  however,  were  most  pleasing 
and  satisfactory  to  him,  judging  from  their  ex 
pression,  in  his  morning  dreams,  as  I  awoke.  It 
should  be  stated  that  he  had  spent  the  previous 


356  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


evening  with  Carrie  until  a  late  hour.  Some  of 
his  words  were  muttered  ;  but  I  had  no  difficulty 
in  divining  their  import. 

"  Carrie  Horton,"  he  said,  "  you  love  me,  of 
course  ;  for  how  could  you  help  it !  The  only 
question  now  is,  will  you  wait  till  I  climb  the  hill 
of  destiny?  or  will  you  climb  with  me?  The 
only  danger  of  waiting  is,  that  being  a  very  sus 
ceptible  young  man,  with  so  many  pretty  girls 
dying  for  me,  I  might  slip  away  from  you. 
While  star-gazing  with  some  charming  belle,  and 
being  lifted  on  the  wings  of  poetic  fancy,  by  the 
magnetism  of  a  charming  night,  and  the  still 
greater  magnetism  of  a  glowing  cheek  close  to 
mine — occasioned  by  the  focalization  of  our  minds 
on  some  bright,  particular  star,  and  the  intensity 
of  our  desire  to  study  that  star  from  the  same 
standpoint,  who  knows  but  that  in  the  stealthy, 
delicious  enchantment  of  the  hour,  I  might  be 
borne  away  into  a  new  love,  and  your  Charley  be 
lost  to  you  forever!  It  is  a  fearful  risk!  Dare 
you  wait,  Carrie?  Of  course  you'll  not  wait. 
Well,  we'll  commence  together  at  the  foot,  and 
enjoy  the  climb  all  the  way  up  ;  and,  when  the 
prospect  is  sufficiently  bright,  we  will  build  a  wig 
wam,  and  in  due  time  a  palace." 

I  burst  out  laughing.  Charley  opened  his 
eyes  with,  "What's  the  matter  now,  old  fellow? 
Glad  because  you  are  back  again  where  you  left 
your  heart  ?  " 

"  I  am  laughing,  Charley  because  you  are  so 
sure  of  your  game,  and  are  so  happy  over  it." 


YOU    i,ovt:  MK,  OK  COUR.SK  ?" — page  356- 


THE   IVILLIAMSBURG  FLOOD.  357 


"  Sure  of  my  game  and  happy !  Art  thou 
dreaming  of  the  chase,  young  man  ?  " 

I  only  laughed  the  more.  He  turned  towards  me 
with  a  stare,  and,  apparently  guessing  the  source 
of  my  merriment,  said  : 

"  Dear  old  shipmate,  you  may  laugh  ;  for  I  am 
happy  as  a  clam  in  high  water.  I  am  swelled, 
lifted,  exported  with  happiness — an  emigrant  from 
infelicity  and  an  immigrant  to  bliss  perpetual. 
My  soul  is  as  full  of  song  and  sweetness  as  a  lark 
just  up  from  a  bed  of  rosebuds  !  The  fact  is  I 
am  in  the  swim,  on  the  topmost  wave  of  good 
fortune,  floating  on  it,  deliciously  basking  in  the 
glad  sunshine  of  a  peace  most  serene  !  In  short, 
I  am  rocked,  rapturously  rocked,  in  the  cradle  of 
an  accepted  lover !  Wonder  not  at  the  neo 
phyte's  happy  mood  !  " 

"  How  and  when  did  you  get  on  so  amazing 
fast  ?  "  I  asked. 

"  The  climax  was  capped  last  night,"  he  an- 
swered. 

"  Then  what  you  said  in  your  dream  this  morn 
ing  was  not  all  a  dream." 

"  What  was  it  ?  " 

I  told  him.  His  laugh  was  a  sufficient  answer; 
but  he  would  neither  affirm  nor  deny,  that  the 
closing  sentences  were  distinguished  by  any  un 
necessary  punctuation  marks. 

The  tones  of  the  rising  bell  now  reached  us, 
and  we  dressed  for  breakfast.  Charley's  happy 
mood  seemed  to  be  catching  ;  for,  when  we  went 
down,  we  were  cheerfully  greeted,  and  it  was  a 


358  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


chatty  group  that  gathered  about  the  family- 
table.  A  feeling  of  gladness  seemed  to  pervade 
all  hearts  that  we  were  together  again  safe  and 
well.  We  talked  and  laughed  of  our  first  meet 
ing,  of  Charley's  and  my  experiences  down  the 
river,  and  up  among  the  hill-towns,  of  parish  in 
cidents,  and  other  light  relaxing  themes.  It  was 
in  part  a  reaction  from  the  sad  sights  and  thoughts 
of  the  previous  day.  Ethel  was  as  bright  and 
sparkling  as  the  dewdrops,  which  were  seen 
dancing  in  the  sunlight  through  the  eastern  win 
dow.  It  was  a  glad  morning  indoors  and  out,  and 
after  breakfast,  Dr.  Blentwood  led  in  a  prayer  of 
great  tenderness  and  thanksgiving  for  God's  pre 
serving  mercies  to  us  all.  Then  Charley  hurried 
me  off  to  his  brother's  office. 

Dr.  Lightheart  was  much  pleased  with  my  im 
proved  condition,  and  expressed  his  satisfaction 
that  I  was  to  give  in  Dr.  Blentwood's  pulpit  the 
first  draft  of  a  course  of  lectures,  which  I  had 
promised  the  Thorntons  more  formally  to  give 
later ;  but  he  stipulated  that  I  should  shut  down 
the  mental  mill  each  day  at  noon,  and  roam  the 
woods  and  hills.  This  I  could  do,  as  no  pastoral 
work  was  expected  of  me. 

Leaving  Charley  with  his  brother,  I  came  back 
via  the  river,  spending  most  of  the  remaining 
forenoon  arranging  my  thoughts  on  the  Williams- 
burg  disaster,  sitting  under  a  wide-spreading  elm, 
and  on  the  very  seat  occupied  by  Ethel  and  me 
the  evening  I  first  met  Stockmire. 

Fortunately  I  broke  away  from  that  enchanted 


THEY  WERE  TOO  HAPPY  FOR  INDOORS."— page  JjQ. 


THE   IVILLIAMSBL'RG  FLOOD.  359 


spot  in  season  for  dinner  ;  and,  after  that  neces 
sary  repast,  who  should  call  but  Charley  and  his 
Carrie  ! 

They  were  too  happy  to  contain  themselves  in 
doors  on  so  pleasant  an  afternoon,  and  so,  Dr. 
Blentwood  being  engaged  in  his  study,  we  four 
took  a  long  stroll  into  the  woods,  and  up  the 
mountain,  so  called,  to  a  peculiar  formation  of 
ledge,  known  as  the  "  poet's  seat,"  overlooking  a 
very  pretty  landscape.  The  weather  was  just 
right  for  comfort,  and  we  sat  there  for  an  hour  or 
two,  chatting,  laughing,  and  singing  gospel 
hymns. 

Occasionally  Ethel's  eyes  met  mine,  setting  in 
motion  an  electric  current,  which  caused  my  pulse 
to  beat  faster.  There  was  so  much  depth  and 
meaning  in  those  orbs  of  hers  !  They  fascinated 
and  drew  me  like  a  magnet.  I  wondered  if  they 
had  so  much  for  others  as  for  me.  They  were 
windows  indeed,  through  which  her  very  soul 
seemed  to  look.  Was  there  not  something  more 
than  kindness  there  ?  And  would  that  something 
ever  be  transmuted  by  my  great  passion  into  the 
glow  of  an  ardent  love?  Time  would  tell,  and  I 
must  be  patient. 

On  our  way  home,  when  I  might  have  had  an 
opportunity  for  a  little  private  conversation  with 
Ethel,  who  should  cross  our  path  but  Stockmire, 
the  man  for  whom  I  felt  an  unexplained  repulsion, 
as  from  a  creeping  thing  !  A  change  came  over 
Ethel's  countenance;  but  what  that  change  meant 
I  could  not  decipher.  With  a  bland  smile  and 


360  SniPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


that  innocent  drawl  of  his,  he  welcomed  Charley 
and  myself  back,  as  if  he  honestly  meant  it. 

He  invited  himself  to  walk  with  us,  and  so 
spoiled  my  enjoyment  for  the  return  home, 
though  I  tried  prayerfully  to  free  myself  from 
prejudice,  and  to  appreciate  him  at  the  value 
accorded  to  him  by  others.  I  even  punished 
myself  by  trying  to  be  affable  to  the  man,  whom, 
in  thought,  I  had  perhaps  injured.  I  wished  to 
think  well  of  him,  as  others  did  ;  but  in  all  my 
attempts  to  charitably  analyze  him,  I  could  not 
escape  the  conviction  that  at  heart  he  was  decep 
tive  and  utterly  selfish.  So  unaccountably  did 
he  affect  me,  that,  when  he  had  shaken  my  hand 
at  parting,  I  went  at  once  to  my  room  and  washed 
off  the  slime,  which  seemed  to  have  gathered 
there,  before  I  realized  what  I  was  doing. 


CHAPTER  XXXVIII. 

AT   CHURCH. 

OUNDAY  morning  we  all  went  to  Church,  even 
^  to  Tom  and  Tot  and  their  unruly  Pomp;  for 
no  cooking,  and  therefore  no  excuse  for  absence, 
was  allowed  on  Sunday.  Dr.  Blentwood's  text 
was  from  Amos  iii.  8 — "  The  Lord  God  hath 
spoken,  who  can  but  prophesy?"  He  could  re 
call  no  period  of  American  history  in  modern 
times,  where  it  seemed  to  him  God  had  spoken 
so  loudly  and  so  plainly  as  in  the  Williamsburg 
flood  ;  and  that  person,  he  thought,  would  be 
remiss  in  duty,  who  did  not  study  to  know  the 
meaning  of  the  message  and  profit  by  it.  He 
graphically  described  what  he  saw  and  heard  and 
felt,  relating  many  touching  incidents  and  pro 
vidential  escapes,  and  then  asked  the  meaning  of 
all  this? 

"  Some  tell  us,"  he  said  in  substance,  "  that  God 
caused  all  this  destruction  and  sorrow  as  a  direct 
punishment  of  the  people  for  their  sins  ;  but  I 
prefer  to  say  what  we  know  to  be  true,  that  the 
cause  was  a  broken  law  of  nature  and  of  nature's 
God.  God  did  not  break  one  of  His  own  laws 
to  punish  anybody.  That  law  was  broken  by 

361 


36 2  SfffPS  BY  DAY. 


man.  The  fact  is,  the  Williamsburg  dam,  pro 
fessing  to  protect  the  people  from  one  hundred 
and  eleven  acres  of  water,  forty  feet  deep  in  the 
centre,  with  an  average  depth  of  twenty-six  feet, 
was  a  builded  lie.  Had  it  been  built  in  harmony 
with  God's  laws,  it  would  have  stood,  and  that 
beautiful  valley  would  not  have  been  turned  into 
the  valley  and  shadow  of  death. 

"  Who  does  not  know  that  sand  will  wash  and 
clay  slip,  and  water  seek  a  level  ?  These  laws 
have  not  changed  since  the  foundation  of  the 
world,  and  are,  therefore,  familiar  to  everybody ; 
and  yet  that  dam,  which  might  have  had  the 
permanent  support  of  the  law  of  gravitation,  was 
built  and  maintained  in  defiance  of  it,  and,  slip 
ping  from  its  insecure  foundation,  a  wall  of  water 
forty  feet  high  rolled  down  on  unsuspecting  vil 
lagers,  some  of  them  asleep  in  their  beds  ;  and, 
were  it  not  for  the  warning  cry  of  the  flying 
horseman,  'The  dam  has  burst,  flee  to  the  banks,' 
the  loss  of  life  would  have  been  much  greater. 
Shall  we  blame  God  for  this  disaster?  or  shall  we 
learn  the  lesson  that  God's  laws  are  eternal  and 
cannot  be  broken  with  impunity  ?  " 

He  then  spoke  of  the  majesty  and  beauty  of 
God's  laws,  the  loss  we  sustain  in  neglecting 
them,  and  the  injury  we  inflict  on  ourselves  and 
others  in  disobeying  them,  dwelling,  at  the  close, 
upon  the  help  to  obedience  from  Him,  who  came 
to  build  up,  and  not  tear  down,  our  manhood  and 
womanhood. 

He  was  very  eloquent.     Never  before  was  I  so 


AT  CIIL'RCIL  363 

impressed  with  the  perfection  and  beneficence  of 
God's  laws,  both  natural  and  spiritual.  I  dropped 
my  pencil  and  notebook,  and  listened  spellbound 
to  the  end  of  the  discourse.  It  would  be  useless 
to  attempt  a  portrayal.  Enough  has  been  inch 
cated  to  define  his  position,  which  is  all  that  is 
essential  to  this  story.  Suffice  it  to  say,  the 
audience  went  away  with  tear-dimmed  eyes,  ex 
cept  a  few  carping  critics,  whose  hearts  were  too 
dry  to  weep,  among  whom  I  recognized  the  voice 
of  Mrs.  Lightheart,  declaring  emphatically: 

"  I  wish  Dr.  IMcntwood  would  preach  to  sinners, 
and  let  us  Christians  enjoy  our  religion.  Just  as 
though  I  have  anything  to  do  with  law,  when 
Jesus  paid  it  all,  all  the  debt  I  owe  !  God 
drowned  those  people  for  their  sins,  and  it's  rank 
heresy  to  deny  it." 

I  made  no  reply,  concluding  to  adopt  the  plan 
of  the  Autocrat  of  the  Breakfast  Table,  and  wait. 
That  evening,  when  the  hour  came  for  me  to 
speak,  according  to  announcement,  I  said  in  sup 
port  of  the  doctor's  position,  in  the  course  of  my 
address  : 

"  I  am  afraid  some  Christians  will  not  learn 
anything  from  this  disaster,  and  that  is  the  most 
fearful  thing  about  it.  The  Lord  God  has  spoken 
in  plain,  unequivocal  terms,  declaring  that  those 
\vlio  disobey,  or  even  neglect,  His  laws,  incur  the 
risk  of  a  terrible  penalty  ;  and  this  is  as  true  of 
spiritual  as  well  as  of  physical  laws.  And  yet, 
so-called  Christians  tell  us  they  have  nothing  to 
do  with  law! — that  Jesus  relieves  them  from  any 


364  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


and  all  obligation  to  law;  whereas  He  expressly 
declares  He  came,  not  to  destroy,  but  to  fulfill ; 
in  other  words,  to  bring  His  followers  into  har 
mony  with  law,  and  help  them  obey  it.  The  real 
Christian  loves  the  law  of  God,  because  it  is  the 
expression,  the  very  transcript  of  the  Divine 
Mind.  He  thankfully  sings  with  the  psalmist, 
'  Oh,  how  love  I  Thy  law  !  Great  peace  have 
they  who  love  Thy  law.'  It  is  the  man  who  loves 
not  God,  that  hates  His  laws  ;  for  he  is  out  of 
harmony  with  them,  and  has  no  help  to  obey 
them. 

"  It  is  a  sham  Christianity  that  would  be  re 
lieved  from  the  responsibility  of  doing  right.  If 
this  disaster  teaches  anything,  it  teaches  that 
God's  face  is  eternally  set  against  shams  and  all 
forms  of  hypocrisy,  and  that  the  only  way  to  be 
safe  in  our  walks  among  the  laws  of  God,  is  to  be 
honest  and  true  and  square-dealing,  not  only  in 
building  dams,  but  in  all  our  business  and  social 
relations — in  other  words,  to  wear  our  religion 
every  day  in  the  week,  and  not  merely  on  Sunday 
and  in  the  prayer-room. 

"  If  this  doctrine  prevents  any  one  from  enjoy 
ing  his  religion,  then,  I  fear,  he  does  not  know 
God  or  Christ,  and  is  crying  Peace,  peace,  when 
there  is  no  peace.  His  sham  Christianity,  like 
the  Williamsburg  dam,  may  deceive  for  a  while, 
but  detection  and  disaster  must  eventually  over 
take  it.  Let  those,  who  are  misled  by  false  in 
terpretations,  remember  that  those,  who  trusted 
a  false  dam,  suffered  the  penalty  of  their  unwis- 


A  T  CHURCH.  361 


dom  as  much  as  if  they  had  been  participants  in 
its  construction  ;  and  let  them  not  rest,  till  they 
have  worked  their  feet  down  through  the  rubbish 
of  error,  and  felt  them  firmly  planted  on  the  rock 
of  eternal  truth." 

"Amen,"  cried  several  voices,  but  Mrs.  Light- 
heart  only  groaned,  and  looked  upon  me  as  a 
heretic  to  the  established  faith.  Stockmirc,  in 
the  after-meeting,  was  profuse  in  his  praise  of 
the  morning  sermon  and  of  the  evening  ad 
dress  ;  but  we  afterwards  remembered  that  he  sat 
down  glancing  at  Ethel  to  see  what  impression 
his  remarks  had  made  upon  her.  Me  went  home 
with  her  from  church,  while  her  father  and  I 
conversed  together,  arm-in-arm,  a  little  behind 
them.  Stockmirc  seemed  to  be  urging  something 
with  great  earnestness,  but  what  she  said  in  return 
seemed  to  be  monosyllabic.  At  the  next  street 
corner  they  went  home  another  way,  and  the 
doctor  and  I  went  at  once  to  his  study  to  consult 
a  Greek  verb,  and  I  did  not  see  her  again  that 
night. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

STOCKMIRE    HAS   DESIGNS. 

'"THE  next  morning  Ethel  Blentwood  appeared 
pale  and  worn,  as  if  she  had  passed  a  sleep 
less  night.  Her  hands  trembled,  as  she  officiated 
at  the  breakfast-table,  and  she  was  so  perturbed 
and  absent-minded,  that  she  made  some  awkward 
mistakes.  I  was  sure  that  her  condition  had 
some  relation  to  Stockmire  ;  but  her  father,  if  he 
noticed  anything  unusual,  only  felt  the  urgency  of 
getting  her  away  from  excessive  church  cares, 
and  tales  of  sorrow  poured  into  her  sympathetic 
ear  by  those  who  had  lost  intimate  friends  in  the 
Williamsburg  flood — one  of  those  bereaved  ones 
being  a  sister  of  the  girl  in  whose  sacque  I  had 
found  Ethel's  letter.  These  things,  undoubtedly, 
had  something  to  do  in  rendering  her  susceptible 
of  agitation,  but  they  were  not  the  direct  cause,  I 
was  certain. 

I  drove  them  to  the  station,  and  as  Ethel  gave 
me  her  hand  and  said  good-bye,  I  pressed  it  with 
both  hands,  and  felt  its  trembling,  but  could  not 
see  her  eyes,  which  were  cast  down,  and,  there 
fore,  could  not  read  what  I  wanted  to  find  there. 
366 


367 


Without  turning  towards  me  again,  she  entered 
the  car,  and  disappeared,  though  the  doctor  lifted 
his  hat,  and  waved  me  a  final  adieu  from  the  car 
platform. 

"  That  trouble,"  I  said,  as  I  drove  back,  "  is 
something  more  than  physical." 

\Yhile  Tom  was  taking  care  of  the  horse,  I  got 
from  him  the  exasperating  fact,  that  Stockmire 
had  called  very  often  during  my  absence,  and  that 
it  looked  to  him  "  as  if  he  were  done  gone  on 
Miss  Ethel,  sure." 

"  He  proposed  to  her  last  night,"  I  said  to  my 
self,  as  I  went  to  the  doctor's  study,  which  was 
now  to  be  mine  for  at  least  two  weeks,  "  and  who 
knows  what  poison  he  has  poured  into  her  un 
suspecting  ear  !  I  was  tortured  with  vague  guesses 
and  fears  all  day,  and  sleep  brought  no  surcease 
to  my  anxieties  ;  for  I  only  slept  at  intervals  to 
dream  of  horrid  plots  by  Stockmire  to  secure  the 
hand  of  Ethel.  His  oily  tongue  would  make 
everything  smooth  to  her,  and  yet,  under  the 
cover  of  that  smoothness,  he  would  stop  at  noth 
ing  to  compass  his  personal  aims.  I  felt  sure  of 
it,  though  he  was  popular,  and  held  one  of  the 
highest  local  offices.  I  did  not  then  know  the 
questionable  methods  by  which  he  had  defeated 
a  much  better  man  ;  but  I  felt  what  I  could  not 
explain,  that,  beneath  his  humble  exterior,  he  was 
hard  and  unscrupulous  at  heart — not  of  the  Uriah 
Heap  sort  exactly,  but  more  like  the  polished, 
yet  equally  hypocritical,  Pecksniff. 

I  met  him  during  the  day,  and  he  was  unusually 


368  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


cordial  and  adroitly  flattering  towards  me,  if  not 
to  everybody.  "  Is  his  politeness  due  to  his 
acceptance  by  Ethel?"  I  queried.  It  looked  like 
it,  and  a  momentary  wave  of  despair  rolled  over 
me,  engulfing  all  my  bright  hopes.  Is  it  possible 
that  one  with  the  delicate  sensitiveness  and 
spiritual  insight  of  Ethel  Blentwood,  could  fail  to 
see  through  the  false  pretences  of  Wilson  Stock- 
mire?  I  thought  not,  and  yet  what  made  him  so 
apparently  happy  ?  On  the  other  hand,  what 
made  Ethel  so  nervous  and  shaken  !  If  she  has 
accepted  him,  it  must  be  from  a  painful  sense  of 
duty,  and  not  from  love.  There  must  be  some  dia 
bolical  plot  beneath  this  fair  exterior  of  Stockmire, 
which  is  tearing  the  heart  of  that  dear  girl,  and 
which  he  is  counting  on  as  ultimately  succeeding 
if  not  already  victorious,  with  her. 

"  It  must  not,  shall  not  succeed,"  I  said,  with 
every  nerve  and  muscle  in  full  tension.  It  was 
with  difficulty  I  could  contain  myself  in  my  anx 
iety  to  fly  at  once  to  her  rescue.  I  hurried  back  to 
the  library,  or  study,  in  a  state  of  frenzy,  and, 
throwing  my  hat  on  the  lounge,  walked  the  room 
repeating,  "  It  must  not,  shall  not  be.  I  will 
ferret  out  this  wickedness. — O,  diabolism  itself!  to 
deceive  an  innocent  girl,  and  lead  her  to  sacrifice 
her  happiness  under  a  false  sense  of  duty  !  for 
that  is  the  trick  I  expect  to  unearth.  If  it  be 
right  to  ask  help  from  above  for  anything,  it  is 
right  to  ask  it  in  saving  this  beautiful  and  accom 
plished  girl  from  the  letter  of  a  loveless  marriage 
and  a  lifelong  regret." 


STOCKMIRR  HAS  DESIGNS.  369 

That  night,  as  I  read  my  Greek  Testament  and 
sank  on  my  knees,  my  prayer  was  that  her  happi 
ness  and  usefulness  might  be  subserved,  whatever 
the  loss  to  me.  If  I  was  self-deceived  and  was 
seeking  my  own  happiness  more  than  hers,  I 
wanted  my  selfishness  revealed  to  me.  At  the 
bedside  I  knelt  again,  repeating  the  same  prayer, 
and  asked  to  be  guided  aright.  At  length  the 
shadow  of  heavenly  wings  seemed  to  brood  above 
me,  and,  comforted  and  refreshed,  I  fell  asleep, 
and  in  my  dreams,  heard  angelic  voices  singing, 
"  I  will  guide  thee  with  mine  eye." 

The  next  morning  Tom  informed  me  that  Mr. 
Stockmire  wanted  him  to  help  about  the  store,  as 
one  of  his  clerks  was  absent. 

'•  Go  by  all  means,  Tom,  and  act  as  my  diplo 
mat,"  I  said. 

"  What's  dat  ?  " 

"  Keep  your  eyes  and  ears  open  to  everything 
Stockmire  says  and  does,  but  do  not  let  him  dis 
cover  that  you  are  watching  him." 

"  I  larned  to  do  dat  clown  Souf,  where  all  d.e 
slaves  were  dipplemats,  peers  like,  We  knowecl 
eberyting  de  white  folks  did,  but  we  nebber  let 
on,"  and  Tom  pumped  his  shoulders  in  high  glee 
over  his  astuteness. 

When  Tom  returned  from  his  day's  work  at 
Stockmirc's,  he  brought  me  a  note  from  the  Eli- 
sons,  inviting  me  to  tea  the  following  day,  and 
reported. 

"  I    haint   much   plomacy   to   tell,   but    dare   be 

somfin  goin  on  under  a  mighty  mystification,  s^1- 
24 


370  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


for  Boss  Stockmire  tuk  mose  eberyone  to  where 
I  couldn't  hear,  and  talked  bery  spiciously ;  and 
once  I  heered  him  say,  '  It's  too  bad  dare  be  such 
a  feelin'  'ginst  Dr.  Blentwood.'  " 

"  Feeling  against  Dr.  Blentwood  !  "  I  exclaimed 
in  amazement.  "  Everybody  loves  him." 

"  Dat  be  true,  sah,  as  I  allus  heerd  so ;  but  I 
tells  ye  de  truf  perzactly  what  Boss  Stockmire 
said,  and  I  is  mystified,  sah,  I  may  say  discom- 
boberated,  sah.  But  Ize  gwine  to  keep  my  plo- 
matic  eye  open,  till  I  fine  de  debbled  at  be  snuffin' 
round  here  like  a  roarin'  lion  seekin'  whom  he 
may  devour  somebody,  and  hep  you  drive  him 
out  before  he  git  us  all  inter  de  quagmire,  Per- 
fessor  Boomfield." 

As  I  had  two  lectures  to  prepare  for  Sunday, 
and  to  arrange  whatever  side  thoughts,  which 
might  be  awakened,  for  an  address  to  the  young 
people,  I  had  no  time  to  mingle  much  with  the 
members  of  the  church,  taking  my  exercise 
through  unfrequented  streets  into  the  fields  and 
woods,  in  obedience  to  Dr.  Lightheart  ;  and  if 
sometimes  condensing  needed  stretch  of.  muscle 
and  expansion  of  lungs  into  as  short  space  of 
time  as  possible,  it  was  only  to  gain  time  for 
study  in  the  afternoon.  I  hoped,  however,  by 
accepting  a  few  invitations  to  tea,  to  learn  some 
thing  of  the  status  of  the  parish  mind,  and  Stock- 
mire's  relation  thereto. 

The  supper  at  Mr.  Elison's  passed  off  pleas 
antly,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elison  and  daughter  proving 
agreeable  and  even  intelligent  people ;  but  Stock- 


STOCKMIRE  HAS  DESIGA'S.  371 


mire  was  there  to  prevent  any  too  confidential 
relations,  and  the  consequent  attainment  of  the 
object  I  had  in  view,  by  engaging  me  in  conversa 
tion  for  his  own  purposes.  He  surprised  me  by 
asking  if  I  agreed  with  Dr.  Blentwood  in  denying 
that  God  caused  the  Mill  River  flood,  explaining 
that  the  pastor's  position  had  produced  a  good 
deal  of  commotion  among  some  of  the  church 
members. 

"  God  permitted  it,"  I  answered,  "  because  it 
was  the  natural  result,  or  penalty,  of  His  broken 
law,  or  laws." 

"  What  laws  ?  "  he  asked. 

"  The  laws  that  water  will  press  in  proportion 
to  its  height,  and  that  an  unstable  foundation 
will  wash  away.  Both  of  these  laws  were  violated 
in  the  building  and  maintaining  of  the  Williams- 
burg  dam,  and  God  did  not  suspend  the  penalty 
naturally  following  such  violation;  but  His  loving 
providence  was  seen  in  the  saving  of  hundreds  of 
innocent  lives,  as  their  marvelous  escapes  plainly 
indicate." 

I  felt  chagrined  to  have  to  explain  so  simple  a 
matter,  and  for  the  second  time,  to  an  intelligent 
man  at  this  late  day  ;  for  I  suspected  he  was  feel 
ing  for  a  new  wire  to  pull  against  Dr.  Blentwood 
or  me,  with  some  ulterior  design  on  Ethel's  hand, 
though  just  the  game  he  was  playing,  I  could  not 
then  fathom.  lie  was  very  attentive  to  Miss 
Elison,  the  heir  to  a  considerable  fortune  on  the 
death  of  her  parents.  "  If  he  can't  get  Ethel,  he 
is  preparing  the  way  to  secure  Miss  Elison,"  1 


372  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


thought.  I  went  home  puzzled,  and  got  little 
light  from  Tom. 

The  next  day  Charley  Lightheart  called,  and  I 
unfolded  to  him  my  suspicions.  He  had  engaged 
as  a  reporter  on  a  Boston  daily,  and  had  but  little 
time  to  look  up  the  matter;  but  he  learned  that 
Stockmire  had  been  quoting  others  against  the 
pastor,  always  refraining,  however,  from  giving 
his  own  opinion.  Finally  Charley  called  at  his 
store,  and  Stockmire  told  hjm,  with  apparent 
regret,  of  a  general  desire  for  a  change  in  the 
pastorate,  and  that  it  was  too  bad,  since  there 
had  been  such  a  good  feeling  in  the  church. 
Charley  tried  to  get  him  to  name  individuals, 
who  were  dissatisfied  ;  but  he  would  not  come 
down  from  generalities,  repeating,  that  come 
thought  him  not  sound  in  doctrine,  and  others 
that  he  was  too  old,  and  that  a  young  man 
with  new  methods  would  better  build  up  the 
church. 

"  If  the  feeling  is  so  general,"  said  Charley,  "  I 
should  think  you  might  name  one  of  the  malcon 
tents." 

Under  hard  pressure  he  finally  named  Mrs. 
Smithers,  an  old  lady  and  a  widow.  Charley 
went  to  her  direct,  and  found  her  greatly  grieved 
that  she,  or  any  one,  could  be  supposed  in  oppo 
sition  to  Pastor  Blentwood. 

"  Then  you  have  expressed  no  dissatisfaction?" 
he  asked. 

"  Indeed  not,"  was  her  earnest  answer.  "  We 
are  very  fortunate  if  we  can  keep  him,  he  is  so 


STOCKMIRE  I/AS  DESIGNS.  373 


able  and  such  a  comforter  to  the  worn  spirit,  such 
a  feeder  to  the  hungry  soul  ! 

"  What  did  Stockmire  say  to  you,  Mrs.  Smith- 
ers  ?  " 

"  He  asked  me  if  I  should  want  a  man  for  my 
pastor,  who  held  that  God  took  no  interest  in 
such  disasters  as  the  bursting  of  the  Williamsburg 
dam,  and  I  answered  no,  for  such  a  pastor  could 
not  preach  the  God  I  needed  and  believed  in." 

"  Did  Stockmire  claim  that  Dr.  Blentwood 
holds  such  views  ? 

"  He  told  me  that  church  members  so  inter 
preted  his  sermon  on  the  Mill  River  flood,  and 
were  demanding  a  change  in  the  pastorate." 

"  When  I  heard  that,"  said  Charley,  in  giving 
an  account  of  the  affair  to  me,  "  I  did  not  have 
to  hunt  round  after  the  ancient  Adam  in  me  in 
order  to  get  mad.  I  was  furious,  or  righteously 
indignant,  as  the  ministers  might  say,  and  pre 
sumably  shocked  the  old  lady  by  calling  Stock 
mire  a  creeping,  crawling  serpent,  fit  only  for 
crocodile  swamps  and  the  demnition  bow-wows ! 
He  knows  that  the  majority  of  people  are  not 
independent  thinkers,  but  are  unconsciously  led 
by  the  opinion  of  others  ;  and,  so,  he  is  endeavor 
ing  to  create  public  opinion  by  misrepresenting  it 
— announcing  that  to  be  public  sentiment,  which, 
originally  at  least,  existed  only  in  his  own  lying 
heart. 

"  It  is  true,  my  sister-in-law,  and  those  like  her, 
disapproved  of  the  sermon,  because  it  touched 
their  selfishness  ;  bin  even  they  would  not  origi 
nate  a  movement  to  get  rid  of  the  pastor." 


CHAPTER  XL. 

ANNUAL  CHURCH  MEETING. 

T^HE  next  Sunday,  among  other  notices  I  read 
from  the  pulpit,  was  one  announcing  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Church  and  Society  to  be 
held  the  following  Friday  evening. 

Of  the  two  lectures  given  that  day  it  need  only 
be  said  that  they  awakened  a  good  deal  of  in 
terest  among  the  thinking  portion  of  my  audience. 

The  only  dissent  from  the  views  expressed 
came  from  the  Mrs.  Lightheart  class  of  minds, 
whose  opinions,  though  having  some  influence, 
were  of  no  value  to  a  scholar. 

At  the  annual  meeting  there  was  a  large  attend 
ance  of  Mr.  Stockmire's  friends,  who  were  un 
accustomed  to  attend  such  meetings,  and  a  strong 
under-current  of  feeling  pervaded  the  assembly. 
The  appropriations  for  music  and  other  expenses 
of  the  church  were  made  without  much  opposi 
tion  ;  but  when  the  question  of  the  pastor's 
salary  was  reached,  Mr.  Stockmire  moved  to 
adjourn,  thinking,  no  doubt,  that  would  be  the 
best  way  to  lead  the  pastor  to  resign.  Charley 
Lightheart,  who  was  present  and  still  a  member 
of  the  Society,  moved  that  two  hundred  dollars 
374 


AXXUAL  CHURCH  MEETING,  375 


be  added  to  the  salary.  This  Stockmire  opposed 
in  the  interest,  he  pretended,  of  Dr.  Blentwood, 
for  whom  lie  professed  great  friendship.  It  would 
be  misleading,  and  might  prevent  the  pastor,  under 
a  mistaken  sense  of  duty,  from  accepting  a  more 
desirable  call  elsewhere  ;  and  for  one  he  thought 
it  the  pastor's  privilege  and  duty  to  go  where  he 
c  >uld  retrieve  his  fortunes  lost  by  bad  invest 
ments. 

Charley  answered,  if  the  pastor  had  lost  money 
through  the  advice  and  agency  of  Mr.  Stockmire, 
he  should  be  the  first  to  put  his  hand  down  deep 
into  his  own  pocket,  and  not  plan  to  send  him  to 
strangers.  That  was  not  the  way  to  discharge  an 
honest  obligation. 

I  had  supposed  until  this  moment  that  Dr. 
Blentwood  was  financially  well  off,  if  not  wealthy  ; 
but  Ethel's  sorrow  came  into  my  mind,  and  it 
flashed  upon  me  instantly  that  Charlie's  quick 
inspiration  had  hit  the  real  cause  of  any  loss  the 
doctor  had  sustained,  and,  therefore,  that  Stock- 
mire's  covert  fling  had  only  recoiled  upon  himself, 
where  it  belonged.  Stockmire  turned  red  and 
green  and  then  blue  ;  but  Charley  held  the  floor, 
and,  stepping  into  the  aisle,  said  : 

''  I  have  heard  a  good  deal  about  dissatisfaction 
with  the  pastor,  but  in  even*  instance  I  have 
traced  the  rumor  to  one  source.  It  has  also  been 
extensively  reported  that  the  young  people  desire 
a  young  pastor,  but  as  one  of  them  1  wish  to 
correct  that  report.  Though  a  young  man,  when 
it  comes  to  food  I  prefer  beef-steak  to  veal — in 


376  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


other  words,  a  pastor  who  knows  more  than  I  do, 
a  man  of  experience  and  thought,  and  no  mere 
gabbler. 

"  It  is  said  (Mr.  Stockmire  is  my  authority) 
that  a  young  man  would  be  more  emotional ;  but 
what  does  emotion  amount  to  unless  distended 
with  thought  ?  We  want  something  better  than 
assertions  and  everlasting  gabble.  With  some 
people  skim-milk  is  as  good  as  cream,  if  only  kept 
stirring.  They  are  attracted  by  noise,  and  he 
that  makes  the  most  noise  is  the  best  fellow  with 
them.  Goldsmith's  noisy  geese  that  gabbled  o'er 
the  pool,  would  highly  entertain  them,  if  said 
geese  only  wore  the  human  form.  Gabble  seems 
to  be  the  fashion  just  now.  The  pulpit  gabbles; 
the  bar  gabbles  ;  the  bench  gabbles  ;  the  rostrum 
gabbles;  office-seekers  gabble;  everybody  that 
is  anything  gabbles,  and  he  who  can't  gabble,  or 
won't  gabble,  better  go  to  sea,  or  so  command 
bayonets  and  bullets  as  to  make  the  enemy 
gabble,  as  Grant  did,  and  then  all  the  people  will 
gabble  for  him,  and  he  can  sit  in  his  presidential 
chair,  and  gabble  back  or  not  as  he  pleases. 

"  Give  me  a  man  of  mature  thought,  who  has 
outgrown  the  gabble  age  of  his  development,  for 
my  pastor.  And  you  men  of  experience,  I  must 
believe,  want  no  greenhorn,  fresh  from  the  gospel 
mills,  who  thinks  he  knows  everything,  and  yet 
knows  nothing  except  what  books  and  theological 
seminaries  have  taught  him.  As  to  orthodoxy, 
there  can  be  no  heterodoxy  so  dangerous  as  the 
infinite  fear  some  people  have  of  ever  learning 


A  y\  TV  'UA  L   C1IUR  Clf  MFF  TLVG.  377 


anything.  They  eat,  and  would  make  everybody 
else  cat  mouldy  bread,  made  in  the  early  periods 
of  the  race,  whereas  we  can  have  it  at  the  hands 
of  wiser  cooks,  fresh  from  new  wheat  growing  in 
the  fields  of  to-day. 

"  Dr.  Blentwood  is  abreast  of  the  times,  and 
preaches  a  gospel,  which  appeals  to  every  man's 
nineteenth  century  common  sense.  If  I  have 
learned  that  there  is  a  grand  truth  in  Christianity, 
which  wins  me,  it  is  owing  to  the  eminently  reason 
able  views  of  Dr.  Blentwood  and  Professor  Bloom- 
field." 

Charley's  speech  called  forth  hearty  laughter, 
and  when  he  sat  down  there  was  a  general  clap 
ping  of  hands  and  calls  for  Professor  Bloomfield. 
I  arose,  and  simply  said  : 

"  It  does  not  become  me  to  speak  at  your  busi 
ness  meeting,  not  being  a  member  of  your  society. 
I  may  properly  say,  however,  that  I  have  been 
very  strongly  impressed  with  the  great  worth  of 
Dr.  Blentwood.  I  esteem  him  as  a  man  of  rare 
ability  and  goodness  ;  and  no  people,  in  my  opinion 
can  be  more  fortunate  than  those  privileged  to 
listen  to  the  grand  and  helpful  truths,  to  which 
he  gives  utterance  in  his  pulpit  ministrations. 

"  Like  my  friend  Lightheart,  I  am  a  young  man, 
but  I  bow  with  profound  respect  and  reverence  to 
age.  Indeed,  I  never  get  quite  so  near  Heaven, 
as  when  I  take  an  old  man  by  one  hand  and  'a 
little  child  by  the  other,  the  one  fresh  from  the 
portals  of  Eternal  Morn  and  the  other  just  enter 
ing  there." 


378  SffJPS  BY  DAY. 


Hearty  cheering  followed  these  brief  remarks, 
indicating  that  the  friends  of  the  pastor  were 
largely  in  the  majority  ;  but  Stockmire  jumped 
up,  and  tried  to  feel  the  pulse  of  the  opposition 
by  making  a  Pecksniffian  speech  ending  with  the 
following  question  : 

"  I  would  like  to  ask  Professor  Bloomfield,  with 
reference  to  Mr.  Lightheart's  nineteenth  century 
common  sense,  if  we  have  not  the  truth  once  de 
livered  to  the  saints,  and  if  there  is  any  progress 
in  truth?" 

"  I  certainly  believe,"  I  replied,  "  that  we  have 
the  truth,  as  we  have  the  earth,  once  delivered  to 
the  saints  ;  but  I  should  be  very  sorry  to  think 
man  so  stationary  that  he  cannot  have,  and  enjoy 
a  progressive  interpretation  of  both  the  earth  and 
the  Bible." 

Stockmire  reefed  his  sails,  and  started  again  : 

"  Church  members  complain  that  the  pastor 
preaches  righteousness  too  much,  and  against 
hypocrisy,  dishonesty,  social  exclusiveness  and 
unbrotherliness,  and  thus  disturbs  their  devotional 
feelings  and  peace  of  mind,  instead  of  giving 
them  their  needed  Sabbath  rest  by  having  their 
hearts  flooded  with  love." 

Charley  was  on  his  feet  before  Stockmire  was 
fairly  seated,  and  said  : 

"  The  last  speaker's  remarks  remind  me  of 
Robert  Colyer's  Chicago  man,  who  spent  much  of 
his  life  in  prison,  but  in  the  intervals  of  freedom 
had  blessed  seasons  of  hymn  singing  and  prayer 


AXXTAL   CHURCH  MEKTLVG. 


379 


in  religious  meetings,  where  nothing  was  said  to 
disturb  his  conscience." 

Dr.  Lightheart,  who  was  standing  at  the  door, 
having  just  come  in,  added  : 

"  When  I  was  South,  I  learned  of  a  colored 
preacher  who  had  great  power  with  his  audiences, 
and  was  asked  to  preach  against  theft  and  other 
dishonest  practices,  of  which  his  church  was 
guilt}1  ;  but  he  replied,  '  Dat  will  nebber  do,  brod- 
der,  it  would  frow  such  a  coolness  ober  de  meet- 
in'.'  I  don't  know  that  all  of  you  church  mem 
bers  can  stand  honest  preaching,  but  those  of  us 
outside  believe  in  it." 

During  the  laughter  which  followed,  I  noticed 
Charley  tucking  a  dollar  bill  into  Tom's  hand, 
who  rose  rather  faltering!}',  but  spoke  with  all 
the  more  effect  because  it  took  the  audience  by 
surprise  : 

11  Dear  Brederen,  Misser  Stockmire  have  said 
dat  he  wish  ter  so  lib  as  ter  leab  de  world  better 
dan  he  fine  it ;  and  I  wish  ter  say  for  his  courage- 
ment,  and  de  comfort  ob  us  all,  dat  de  signs  am 
pooty  clare  dat  he'll  hab  his  wish  ;  for  it  peers  like 
as  if  de  world  will  be  better  off  when  he's  gone." 

Tin's  brought  down  the  house,  metaphorically 
speaking.  The  audience  fairly  roared  with 
laughter,  occasional!}'  bursting  out  afresh  after 
the}'  had  determined  to  control  their  risibles. 
Had  a  vote  been  taken,  it  would  have  been  car 
ried  overwhelming!}-  in  favor  of  the  pastor  ;  but 
Mr.  Stockmire  gave  a  very  plausible,  and  appar 
ently  very  honest,  but,  as  it  afterwards  proved, 


380  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


trumped-up  excuse  for  adjournment  at  the  call 
of  the  chairman  to  be  given  Sunday  from  the  pul 
pit,  and  the  meeting  was  so  adjourned. 

As  the  chairman  was  Stockmire's  tool,  the 
latter  was  very  complacent  and  full  of  honeyed 
words  for  everybody.  Indeed,  so  excessive  was 
his  warmth  that  Charley  declared  it  would  re 
quire  an  extra  watering-cart  to  lay  the  dust  oc 
casioned  by  his  over  abundant  sunshine. 

"  I  fear,"  he  whispered,  "  I  shall  be  out  of 
pocket  to  the  extent  of  a  sun-umbrella,  or  out  of 
health  to  the  extent  of  a  sunstroke,  if  that  smile 
becomes  any  more  sultry  and  scorching  !  " 

At  that  instant  I  happened  to  look  at  Stock- 
mire,  who  was  watching  us,  and  was  startled  at 
the  almost  fiendish  spirit,  which,  in  a  moment  of 
forgetfulness,  had  come  to  the  surface  and  made 
ugly  his  Jewish  features.  The  smile,  then,  was 
only  a  veneer  to  cover  up  something  fierce  and 
grim,  which,  in  an  unguarded  moment,  had  dark 
ened  forth  from  the  whole  man ! 

From  that  time  on,  Stockmire  went  diligently 
to  work,  poisoning  the  minds  of  church  members, 
not  in  open  warfare,  but  in  true  Pecksniff  style, 
quoting  everybody  in  general  and  nobody  in  par 
ticular,  except  where  he  knew  the  lie  would  not 
be  detected.  Where  he  could,  he  made  the  most 
of  what  he  declared  to  be  a  universally  accepted 
fact,  that  the  pastor  did  not  believe  in  Divine 
Providence,  and  was  otherwise  theologically  un 
sound,  and  consequently  an  unsafe  teacher. 

It  is  needless  to  cumber  these  pages  with  the 


ANNUAL  CHURCH  MEETING.  381 


falsehoods  and  half-truths,  worse  than  falsehoods, 
with  which  he  effected  his  purpose,  all  the  while 
attitudinizing  as  an  aggrieved  friend  of  Dr.  Blent- 
wood.  Suffice  it  to  say,  no  notice  of  the  adjourned 
meeting  was  handed  me  to  read  the  following 

o  o 

Sunday.  This  aroused  the  friends  of  Dr.  Blent- 
\vood,  comprising  all  the  thinking  and  wealthy 
members  of  the  society,  and  a  paper  was  circu 
lated,  giving  a  very  cordial  and  urgent  invitation 
to  Dr.  Blentwood  to  take  charge  of  an  independ 
ent  body  to  be  known  as  the  Church  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  with  pledges  amounting  to  $2,500,00 
for  his  yearly  salary — $500  more  than  he  was 
then  receiving.  This  paper  was  to  be  presented 
by  an  influential  committee  on  the  doctor's  return 
from  his  vacation  trip. 


CHAPTER    XLI. 

RAILROAD   ACCIDENT   AND    DILEMMA. 

'"THE  maiden  aunt  of  Miss  Elison  died  sud 
denly,  and  Mr.  Elison,  who  felt  her  loss 
keenly,  was  taken  ill  a  few  days  later,  and  sent 
for  me.  I  went  at  once  to  his  bedside,  and  found 
him  much  agitated.  Drawing  me  towards  him, 
and  eyeing  Mr.  Stockmire,  who  had  become 
a  boarder  in  the  family  and  very  officious  in  his 
attentions  to  all  the  inmates,  he  said  in  a  half 
whisper,  "  I  am  being  poisoned."  Whether  Mr. 
Stockmire  heard  these  fearful  words  or  not,  he 
must  have  divined  their  import ;  for,  on  my  de 
parture,  he  followed  me  to  the  door,  and  soberly 
asked : 

lt  You  will  not  think  anything  of  what  he 
said  ?  " 

"  Certainly  not,"  I  answered,  "  Mr.  Elison  is 
evidently  a  little  out,  and  not  responsible  for  all 
he  says." 

In  three  days  Mr.  Elison  was  dead;  and 
from  that  hour  Mrs.  EHson  became  a  changed 
woman.  At  the  funeral  her  pale,  haggard  face 
moved  my  sympathies  deeply,  and  I  tried  in  vain 

to  lead  her  to  rest   her  burden  at  the  feet  of  the 
382 


RAILROAD  ACCIDEXT  AXD  DILEMMA.       383 


Burden-bearer,  and  to  remember  that  she  had  not 
lost  her  husband,  but  that  he  had  only  gone  a  few 
days  in  advance  to  eventually  welcome  her  to  a 
better  mansion  on  high.  I  called  the  next  day, 
and  reminded  her  that  she  had  now  a  loved 
daughter  to  Hvc  for,  hoping,  by  centering  her 
thoughts  and  affections  on  the  living,  to  bring 
her  back  to  the  duties  of  the  present  ;  but  she 
was  uncommunicative,  and  her  eyes  were  fevered 
and  wild,  like  one  surprised  and  stunned  by  a  blow 
from  a  friend,  and  had  no  one  left  to  trust.  She 
seemed  frightened  at  times  and  to  pant  for  words 
to  express  something,  and  would  then  make  some 
commonplace  remark,  all  the  more  pathetic  from 
the  effort  made  to  conceal,  rather  than  reveal,  her 
thoughts. 

I  found  it  impossible  to  comfort  her,  and  she 
grew  paler  every  day,  until  she  became  ghostly, 
and  almost  transparent  in  appearance.  Taking 
her  bed  soon,  she  gradually,  but  steadily,  wasted 
away,  her  physician,  as  he  explained  it,  finding  in 
her  system  no  leverage  of  strength,  against  which 
his  medicine  could  pry. 

But  before  her  demise  the  city  was  thrown  into 
excitement  by  the  news  of  a  railroad  accident, 
and  that  among  the  dead  and  wounded  were  Dr. 
Blent  wood  and  daughter.  From  the  description 
given,  I  concluded  that  the  accident  occurred  not 
far  from  the  Thorntons,  and  I  took  the  next  train 
for  the  scene  of  sorrow. 

I  will  not  burden  the  reader  with  any  details  of 
the  sickening  horror,  of  which  the  papers  we're 


384  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


full.  Suffice  it  to  say  that  the  names  of  my  loved 
friends  were  not  among  the  dead.  Hearing  that 
Thornton  was  early  on  the  scene  of  action,  and 
that  he  and  his  sister  had  thrown  open  their 
house  to  the  wounded,  I  crossed  the  newly-made 
gully,  bridged  by  an  overturned  car,  and  was 
quickly  at  their  door.  Mr.  Thornton  met  me 
cordially,  and,  to  my  earnest  question,  answered 
that  the  parties  I  desired  to  see  were  there,  all  the 
others  having  been  removed  by  their  friends,  and 
he  took  me  at  once  to  Dr.  Blentwood's  bedside. 
He  looked  up,  as  we  approached,  with  a  pleased 
surprise,  and  returned  my  greeting  with  all  the 
warmth  of  his  friendly  nature. 

"  Providence  has  sent  you  to  me  a  second 
time,"  he  said  with  a  grateful  smile,  "  once  on 
your  account  and  now  on  my  account.  \Ye  are 
friends  by  providential  arrangement,  and  may  be 
destined  to  some  pleasant  duties  together  here 
after,  differences  of  age  and  strength  notwithstand- 

o  o 

ing." 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  venturing  at  what  I  thought 
to  be  his  meaning,  "  neither  extent  of  space  nor 
duration  of  time,  nor  the  loss  of  what  is  merely 
foreign  and  of  no  further  use  to  us,  can  touch 
our  souls  or  our  friendship." 

He  pressed  my  hand,  which  still  enclosed  his, 
as  he  added,  "  You  and  I  know — and  what  a  com 
fort  it  is! — that  real  life  is  not  dependent  on 
fortune  or  misfortune.  It  is  beyond  the  reach  of 
accident  or  bodily  disaster." 

As  he  paused,  I  looked   about   the  room,  and 


RAILROAD  ACCIDENT  AND  DILEMMA.      385 


seeing  the  question  in  my  eyes,  he  explained  the 
absent  one  by  saying: 

"  Ethel,  dear  girl,  1  hope  is  fast  asleep.  She 
has  been  an  angel  of  mercy,  watching  by  my 
side,  anticipating  every  want,  heroically  covering 
every  sign  of  fatigue,  till  I  became  conscious 
enough  to  know  she  was  almost  completely 
exhausted,  and  then  I  had  to  plead  our  mutual 
love  before  she  would  go  willingly  to  seek  rest  in 
sleep.  She  is  like  her  mother,  all  devotion,  self- 
sacrifice  itself.  God  bless  her  !  "  and  the  tears 
moistened  his  eyes.  "  For  her  sake  only  I  would 
like  to  live  a  little  longer,  until— 

He  did  not  finish,  and  I  said  enthusiastically, 
"  You  will  ;  you  must  ! 

He  smiled  faintly,  and,  noting  his  weakness, 
and  promising  to  see  him  after  he  rested,  I  retired 
to  the  adjoining  room.  Thornton  was  waiting 
for  me,  and  I  asked  : 

"\Yhere  is  your  sister.''" 

"  Theo,"  he  answered,  "  is  in  bed.  I  left  her  a 
fe\v  moments  ago  resting  beautifully." 

•'  What  !  Is  she  ill?  Was  she  hurt  ?  "  I  asked 
eagerly. 

"  Xo,  not  hurt,"  he  answered,  "  but  she  over 
worked  in  the  excitement  of  the  disaster,  and, 
being  delicate,  she  was  quickly  prostrated.  I 
hope  to  see  her  up  in  a  day  or  t\v<>  ;  but  she  is 
not  so  strong  as  when  you  were  here  before,  and 
every  unfavorable  circumstance,  like  this,  worries 
me,  though,  in  the  end,  I  think,  through  Miss 
Blentwood,  it  may  be  a  God-send  to  her  ;  for  they 
25 


386  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


fell  in  love  with  each  other  at  once,  and  it  was 
Miss  Blentwood  who  put  Theo  to  bed,  and  has 
run  to  her  whenever  she  could  leave  her  father 
even  for  a  moment.  She  seems  a  charming  girl, 
and  a  very  worthy  daughter  of  a  very  worthy 
man.  Old  acquaintances  of  yours,  I  infer  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  I  answered,  thinking  of  heart-throbs 
rather  than  clock-time,  "  and  very  dear  friends  of 
mine  ;  but  when  can  I  see  Miss  Thornton  ?  " 

"  She  will  wish  to  see  you  as  soon  as  she  learns 
you  are  here." 

"  Has  she  really  been  failing  in  health  ?  " 

"  Yes,  rapidly." 

"  Can  nothing  be  done  to  arrest  the  disease  ?" 

"  Everything  apparently  has  been  tried  ;  but  it 
is  a  case  physicians  cannot  control." 

I  looked  at  him  inquiringly,  and  he  proceeded. 

"  There  is  one  man,  and  only  one,  who  can  pro 
long  her  life,  and  he  is  not  a  physician." 

"  And  he  will  not  ?  "  I  asked  in  surprise,  and 
then  recalling  my  last  interview  with  her,  I  added, 
"  Does  not  the  man  she  admires  and  loves  yet 
know  ?  " 

He  eyed  me  closely,  and,  it  seemed  to  me,  al 
most  suspiciously,  as  he  answered,  "  She  has  told 
you  all,  and  yet  you  ask  such  a  question  ?  " 

"  Nay,  not  all.  I  only  know  she  worships  some 
one,  and  my  advice  to  her  was  to  let  the  man 
know  the  treasures  of  heart  and  brain  in  store  for 
him." 

"  I  believe  you,"  he  said,  thrusting  his  hands 
through  his  hair  in  great  perplexity. 


RAILROAD  ACCIDENT  A XD  DILEMMA.      387 

"  Believe  me!  Did  you  say  believe  me?  That 
implies  a  previous  doubt.  Explain  yourself,"  I 
said  with  great  earnestness. 

"  I — I  thought,"  he  stammered, — "  I  mean  I 
had  special  reasons  for  wishing  that  you  did  not 
know,  and  my  words  were  in  the  nature  of  a  glad 
assurance  to  myself,  and  yet,  I  thought — I  natu 
rally  inferred  that  you  knew.  I  see  now  how  it 
is.  I  suppose  sister  Theo  confided  in  you  to  get 
your  advice.  Do  you  still  advise  that  he  be  in 
formed  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  for  he  may  be  a  modest,  self-depreciat 
ing  person,  who  could  not  believe,  unless  actually 
told,  that  he  is  the  subject  of  so  much  good  for 
tune  ;  and  such  a  love,  from  so  noble  a  woman, 
is  certainly  no  common  prize  in  this  world  of 
superficial  attachments,  and  one  too  valuable  to 
be  lost.  It  is  above  all  price  to  any  man  worthy 
of  her.  It  is  such  love  that  redeems  the  world  ; 
for  it  is  akin  to  that  which  saves  the  soul  from 
sin." 

"It  ought  not  to  be  difficult  to  tell  one  who 
appreciates  her,  and  yet  I  hesitate  ;  for  it  will  be 
against  her  will.  I  came  into  her  secret  through  a 
transaction  requiring  my  approval  and  signature. 
I  have  not  her  delicacy  of  feeling,  and  think  I 
ought  to  tell,  and  yet  I  would  not  have  her  know 
— (),  for  God's  sake  save  me  this  hard  duty  ! 
Theo  is  my  only  sister  and  almost  my  only  rela 
tive.  Why  need  I  say  more  ?  God  forgive  me, 
if  I  have  wrongly  interfered  in  this  matter,  and 
done  more  harm  than  <rood." 


388  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


11  What  do  you  mean  ?  You  cannot  mean ? 

No,  impossible  !  " 

"  I'm  rough,  sir,  and  unused  to  such  matters  ; 
but  remember  it  is  hard  to  see  her  wasting  away. 
Her  life  is  in  your  hands.  Oh  !  this  is  terrible  to 
you,  I  fear,  and  in  me  a  grave  mistake  !  " 

He  rushed  from  the  room,  and  left  me  in  dumb 
amazement.  A  thunderbolt  from  a  clear  sky 
would  not  have  startled  me  more.  What  was 
there  in  me  to  call  forth  such  love  ?  I  asked  my 
self  over  and  over.  The  idea  seemed  absurd,  and 
yet  absurdities  had  developed  in  the  world  before, 
and  though  I  repeated,  "  Impossible,  impossible," 
and  declared,  "  There  must  be  some  mistake," 
the  clearer  I  recalled  my  last  conversation  with 
Theo,  the  clearer  came  the  conviction  that  I  was 
the  man.  But  what  had  I  done  to  evoke  her 
love  ?  and  what  was  I  to  do  about  it  ?  Here  was 
a  dilemma. 

I  began  to  chastize  myself  for  being  thoughtless 
in  my  deportment  towards  her  ;  and  yet  I  could 
not  recall  one  word  or  act,  which  could  lead  her 
to  regard  me  other  than  a  friend.  I  had  fre 
quently  said  to  my  mates,  that  it  was  of  the 
nature  of  murder  to  deliberately  win  a  girl's 
affections  only  to  blast  them  ;  and  here  I  was 
where  I  must  save  or  blight  the  future  of  a  very 
dear  friend.  I  thought  I  had  realized  before  how 
careful  a  young  man  should  be  of  giving  a  wrong 
impression,  but  the  danger  was  greater  than  I 
supposed  ;  and  I  record  this  maze  into  which  I 


RAILROAD  ACCIDENT  A XD  DILEMMA.      389 


had  fallen  as  a  warning  to  others,  who  may  read 
these  pages. 

Here  I  was  with  all  my  hopes,  and  perhaps 
those  of  another,  in  one  hand,  and  the  very  life 
of  a  most  estimable  young  lady  in  the  other. 
Which  should  I  choose  ?  It  was  a  terrible  ordeal 
for  weak  human  nature.  No  one,  who  has  not 
stood  where  I  stood,  can  have  any  adequate  idea 
of  the  perplexity,  the  self-accusation  and  torture 
I  suffered.  The  perspiration  stood  beaded  upon 
my  forehead.  I  clutched  a  chair,  not  for  support 
merely,  but  that  by  some  expression  I  might  clear 
my  brain  for  more  thorough  and  exact  thought. 
What  if  Ethel  Blentwood,  to  whom  I  had  prob 
ably  revealed  something  of  my  feelings,  had  be 
gun  to  regard  me  as  my  heart  had  so  ardently 
craved  !  What  if  the  future  of  two  persons  de 
pended  on  me  !  Where  then  would  lie  the  path 
of  duty?  For  duty  and  right,  I  was  clear,  should 
be  consulted,  and  not  my  own  happiness. 

But  how  could  I  know  what  injury  I  might  be 
doing  Ethel  by  turning  to  Theo  ?  Ethel  must 
know  something  of  my  feelings  for  her,  and  Theo 
must  remember  that  I  told  her  plainly  of  my  love 
for  another,  though  she  knows  not  that  that  other 
is  Ethel.  If  I  knew  Ethel  would  reject  me,  the 
line  of  duty  would  be  plain,  and,  furthermore,  I 
could  not  be  unhappy  in  the  great  love  of  so 
noble  a  girl  as  Theodocia  Thornton  ;  but,  and 
here  was  the  rub,  if  the  discovery  should  ever 
overtake  me  when  too  late  to  remedy  it,  that 
Ethel's  life  was  bein<r  shortened  on  account  of 


39° 


SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


my  apparent  treachery,  the  thought  would  kill 
me. 

"  O,  God  !  "  I  cried  in  my  heart,  as  I  sank  on 
my  knees,  "  why  am  I  in  this  seemingly  wicked 
position,  where  I  may  do  harm  whichever  way  I 
turn  ?  Forgive  me  if  the  fault  be  mine,  and  lead 
me  through  whatever  punishment,  if  only  I  may 
undo  any  possible  harm  I  have  done.  Wherever 
Thou  leadest,  Twill  go."  In  that  surrender  I  felt 
that  I  should  be  guided. 

I  had  arisen  and  was  resting  my  head  in  my 
right  hand,  my  elbow  against  the  window-casing, 
when  I  heard  the  rustle  of  a  lady's  dress,  and 
knew  that  Ethel  was  in  the  room.  I  turned,  and, 
true  to  my  heart's  divination,  there  she  was  in  all 
her  grace  and  beauty  advancing  towards  me,  pale 
but  calm.  I  took  her  extended  hand  tremblingly 
into  mine,  and  held  it  while  she  said  : 

"  It  is  very  kind  of  you,  Professor  Bloomfield, 
to  come  to  us  in  this  hour  of  our  great  anxiety." 

I  wished  to  remind  her  that  she  \vas  to  call  me 
Elbert,  but  the  thought  of  Theo  deterred  me,  and 
I  tried  to  appear  only  as  a  sincere  and  grateful 
friend.  I  was  congratulating  her  on  her  provi 
dential  escape  from  the  railroad  catastrophe,  when 
Dr.  Lightheart  was  announced.  Although  the 
local  doctors  had  done  nobly,  no  one  could  take 
the  place  of  the  old  family  physician,  in  whose 
friendly  skill  and  knowledge  of  the  patient's 
power  of  endurance  we  all  had  confidence.  His 
coming  was  a  great  relief  to  Ethel  ;  for  she  felt 
sure  that  the  very  best  that  was  in  him,  of  brain 


RAILROAD  ACCIDENT  AND  D/LKJWA.      391 


and  heart  and   untiring  study  of  the  case,  would 
be  given  her  father  ;   and  so  felt  we  all. 

He  was  soon  at  Dr.  Blentwood's  side,  and  we 
awaited  his  diagnosis  as  patiently  as  we  could, 
and  when  lie  returned  to  us  we  looked  to  him 
eagerly  for  the  verdict.  He  tried  to  look  cheer 
ful  for  Ethel's  sake  and  said  : 

"  Dr.  Blentwood  is  hurt  internally,  but  how 
seriously  I  cannot  at  present  determine.  I  am 
going  to  take  the  whole  care  of  him  to-night,  and 
watch  every  symptom.  There  is  no  immediate 
danger,  but  I  will  not  leave  him  until  I  know 
what  I  can  do  for  him." 

A  conscientious  physician,  who  will  not  pre 
scribe  until  he  knows  the  condition  of  the  patient 
he  is  prescribing  for,  is  a  great  blessing  to  the 
world;  and  this  thought,  awakened  by  Dr.  Light- 
heart,  has  never  left  me. 

lie  ordered  us  all  to  bed,  assuring  us  he  could 
watch  the  patient  better  alone  with  nothing  to 
distract  his  attention.  "  I  must  look  through 
that  man,"  he  said,  "  and  so  must  need  concen 
trate  every  faculty  and  power  I  possess." 

This  was  hardly  a  hyperbolic  expression.  He- 
had  cultivated  his  powers  of  perception  to  such  a 
degree  of  intensity  that,  with  his  scientific  knowl 
edge,  it  was  almost  literally  true,  that  he  could 
see  into  the  human  system.  Every  faculty  we 
possess,  is  susceptible  of  improvement,  and  men 
tal  sight  is  no  exception.  It  is  a  part  of  our 
heritage,  if  we  will  take  it,  to  think  m<>re,  feel 
more,  see  more,  and  be  more  as  time  wears  on. 


392  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


We  do  not  know  the  alphabet  of  our  powers  yet 
It  seems  miraculous  to  talk  with  a  person  a  thou 
sand  miles  away  by  means  of  the  telephonic  wire; 
but  it  is  not  nonsense  to  say  that  the  time  may 
come,  by  living  up  to  our  privileges,  when  mind 
will  communicate  with  mind  without  the  aid  of 
telephonic  appliances,  or  perhaps  of  even  physical 
speech.  Were  we  sufficiently  spiritual,  we  might 
not  need  to  wait  the  end  of  the  world  to  be 
"  caught  up  "  into  celestial  society  ;  we  could  see 
through  the  veil,  and  be  literally  with  the  Lord 
now. 

Miss  Blentwood  retired  that  night,  as  we  all 
did,  feeling  comforted  and  confident,  knowing 
that  her  father  was  in  safe  hands.  Poor  girl !  she 
needed  that  night's  rest  to  prepare  her  for  what 
was  to  be  revealed  the  next  morning,  when  she 
and  I  reached  the  door  of  the  room  adjoining 
that  of  her  father,  which  we  did  at  the  same  mo 
ment.  It  was  ajar,  and  there,  opposite,  sat  Dr. 
Lightheart,  so  deeply  absorbed  that  he  did  not 
notice  us,  the  tears  rolling  down  his  kindly,  sym 
pathetic  face. 

We  stood  still  for  a  minute,  till  he  looked  up, 
and  then  Ethel  advanced  tremblingly,  fell  down 
at  his  knee,  and  wept  silently.  The  good  doctor 
bowed  his  head  to  hers,  and,  with  one  hand  gently 
resting  on  her  head,  whispered  softly  : 

"  He  will  not  suffer  much,  his  mind  will  be 
clear,  anck  you  will  have  him  perhaps  a  week 
longer,  and,  when  he  goes,  you  will  not  feel  that 
you  have  lost  your  father." 


RAILROAD  ACCIDENT  AND  DILEMMA. 


393 


She  struggled  with  her  tears  a  little  longer,  and 
then  raised  a  victorious  face,  the  most  spiritual  I 
ever  beheld,  and,  with  a  grateful  look  at  the  faith 
ful  doctor,  she  passed  into  the  sick  room.  What 
thoughts  were  there  exchanged  with  her  father, 
and  the  greater  Father  above,  we  knew  not  ;  for 
we  felt  that  one  room  in  that  house  was,  at  that 
time,  too  sacred  for  us  to  enter. 


CHAPTER    XLII. 

"BLOODY     NIGGER." 

T  FOUND  it  impossible  to  sit,  and  so,  passing 
^  down  into  the  parlor,  I  was  pacing  up  and 
down  the  long  room,  my  image  reflected  by  mir 
rors  from  every  side,  giving  the  impression  that 
there  were  many  others  as  excited  as  myself,  when, 
hearing  a  scream,  I  opened  the  dining-room  door. 
As  I  did  so,  Polly  Durgin,  whom  I  had  almost 
forgotten,  came  rushing  in  from  the  kitchen, 
wildly  gesticulating  and  exclaiming,  "  Bloody 
nigger  !  O — oh  !  " 

Sure  enough,  there  lay  a  negro  on  the  kitchen- 
floor  with  evident  traces  of  blood  on  his  fore 
head  ;  and  what  was  my  surprise  to  recognize  in 
the  prostrate  form,  Tom,  the  faithful  servant  of 
the  Blentwoods  ! 

"  Are  you  hurt,  Tom  ?  "  I  asked,  feeling  his 
pulse ;  and,  ascertaining  that  he  had  probably 
fainted,  I  gave  directions  to  Polly,  and  then  went 
quietly  for  Dr.  Lightheart,  who  soon  had  him 
restored  to  consciousness. 

Taking  him  by  the  hand,  I  said  : 

"  Tom,  my  good  fellow,  what  brought  you  here 
in  such  a  plight  ?" 
394 


"  BLOOD  Y  XrCGl-'.Rr  395 

"  Sccins  like  I  dunno  pcr/.ackly.  Please  gimme 
sumfin  tcr  chaw.  Cup-cr-tca'd  feel  mighty  ticklish. 
I's  clean  plumb  gone  wid  vacancy." 

Polly  brought  him  a  lunch,  and,  soon  after,  a 
cup  of  smoking  tea,  and  then  I  impatiently  re 
newed  my  inquiry. 

"  Do  tell  us,  Tom,  what  has  happened  to 
you  ?  " 

"  It  happen'  las'  night,  sah,  and  it  seem  long 
time  since  de  las'  meal  got  away  from  me,  and  de 
smell  ob  dis  yere  beckfus  make  me  feel  powerful 
glad  dat  I  has  room  for  it.  I  is  empty's  er  gun 
barrel  arter  de  charge  am  fired  off." 

He  ate  voracious!)'  as  if  starved,  but,  after  swal 
lowing  two  or  three  cups  of  strong  tea,  his  tongue 
was  loosed,  and  his  eyes  opened  wide. 

"  I  bigin  to  'cognize  whar  I  be  and  de  con 
catenation  ob  events.  I's  powerful  exercise  wid 
pleasure  to  seen  you  faces  once  mo',  Perfessor 
Boomfield  and  Dr.  Lightheart.  Peerd  like  I'd 
ncbbcr  git  heyah  nohow;  but  de  Lord  am  too 
much  for  de  debble  ebery  time,"  and  Tom  began 
to  grin  and  lift  his  shoulders  in  high  glee  over  the 
way  he  outwitted  the  devil. 

Dropping  his  knife  and  fork,  as  if  struck  with  a 
sudden  recollection,  he  put  his  hand  into  his 
breast  pocket,  and  then  into  one  still  more  in 
terior,  when,  wild  with  excitement,  he  exclaimed, 
"  De  letter  am  gone  sure,  and  1  is  no  mo'  worthy 
to  be  called  a  messenger  ob  de  Lord.  De  debble 
smarter  den  I  tuk  him,  or,  may  be — I  mus'  go 
right  back  whar  I  had  cle  squabble  wid  'im." 


396  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


He  rose  to  go,  groaning  under  his  sense  of  un 
faithfulness,  but  I  detained  him. 

"  Tom,  did  any  one  entrust  you  with  a  letter 
to  me  ?  " 

"  She  did,  sah  ;  she  trusted  me,  and  I — 

"  Who  trusted  you  ?  " 

"  Missus  Elison,  and  she  charge  me  mos'  on 
her  dyin'  bed  to  gib  it  to  nobody  but  you,  and 
when  she'd  got  one  foot  on  de  golden  stair,  I 
started  wid  the  letter  in  heyah,"  striking  his 
breast. 

"  What  became  of  that  letter  ?  " 

"  Dat  be  jes'  zakly  what  bustifies  my  compre 
hension,  sah.  When  I  travel  a  good  smart  piece, 
and  it  were  mos'  dark,  a  team  obertuk  me,  and 
went  by  like  Jehu.  De  man's  face  were  covered 
up  wid  him  coat  collar  and  hat,  and  I  thunked 
by  myself,  What  if  dat  be  Stockmire  ?  Ob  cose 
it  ain't  though,  and  yet  I  was  afeared,  for  I  spi- 
cioned  de  letter  had  sumfin  to  do  \vid  'im. 

"  Wall,  de  road  tuk  me  fro'  some  woods,  and, 
when  furd  nuf  in  to  be  dark,  I  seed  what  peered 
like  a  horse  and  wagin  side  de  road,  and  fore  I 
knowed  it  I  tuk  to  my  heels,  but  sumfin  hit  me 
on  de  head,  and  I  din  know  no  mo'  for  a  spell. 
When  I  wake  up,  man  say  way  down  him  froat, 
like  bullfrog,  if  I  stir  he  blow  my  brain  out.  I 
axed  him  what  for  he  want  me,  and  he  say  money. 
Dat  ar'  revive  me  ;  for  I  fort  ef  he  doan  want  de 
letter,  he  be  welcome  to  de  fifty  cents  ;  and  so  I 
coined  away  mighty  tickled.  But  now  I's  tetot- 
lum  obfuscated  whudder  de  letter  drop  out  some 


•/>'/, OODY  .VA/G'/.'AV 


397 


way,  or  whudder  tie  clcbblc  tuk  it  for  to  punish 
me  fcr — for  my  sin." 

"  What  sin,  Tom  ?  " 

"  Dunno,  'less  cause  I  look  too  smilin'  for  a 
married  man  on  a  purty  yaller  gal  I  met  on  de 
road.  Yaller  be  my  special  takin'  color,  and  she 
look  so  peert  and  cheery  !  But  I  come  right 
away,  sah,  and  din't  roll  de  sweet  morsel  ober  in 
my  heart." 

"  It  was  Stockmire,  and  not  the  devil,  who  took 
your  letter,"  broke  in  Dr.  Lightheart. 

"  Wall,  doctor,  if  Stockmire  got  de  letter,  and 
de  debble  got  Stockmire,  peers  like  all  de  same, 
don't  it  ?" 

"  Not  much  difference,  Tom  ;  but  I  withdraw 
my  assertion.  I  don't  say  who  the  scamp  is,  that 
robbed  you." 

"  Perhaps  I  were  puffed  up  wid  pride,  and  de 
Lord  wanted  ter  spank  de  wind  outer  me.  \\  hat 
kin  I  do,  gemmen?  " 

"  You  can  watch  and  search  wherever  you 
have  any  suspicions,"  1  said  guardedly,  "  and 
here  is  five  dollars  for  what  you  hi'.ve  tried  to  do 
thus  far." 

He  took  the  money  with  widely  (  Hating  eyes; 
but  before  he  could  express  his  en  otions,  Miss 
Blentwood  came  into  the  kitchen,  aim  exclaimed, 
"  Is  that  you,  Tom?  and  what  is  the  matter?" 

"  It  is  I,  Miss  Ethel,  and  tank  de  Lord  you  is 
safe.  \Ve  were  mighty  skeered  at  fus,  dat  you 
bof  were  smash  up;  but  de  report  wci.i  conter- 
dicted." 


398  S///PS  BY  DAY. 


"  Father  was  hurt,  and  you  shall  see  him  pres 
ently."  She  got  a  basin  of  water,  and  washed  the 
blood  from  his  forehead  with  her  own  hands,  and, 
covering  the  bruise  with  courtplaster,  she  took  him 
to  her  father's  bedside.  We  did  not  follow,  but 
as  he  left  the  kitchen,  we  caught  the  murmured 
words,  "angel  ob  de  Lord,"  and  when  he  returned 
he  was  weeping  sadly.  He  had  prayed  with  the 
doctor  at  the  latter's  request,  and  now,  heart 
broken  with  fear,  like  the  elders  in  separating  from 
Paul,  that  he  should  see  his  face  no  more,  he 
burst  out  in  his  grief: 

"  I  doan  see  how  de  Lord  kin  stan'  de  dear 
pleadin'  face  ob  Miss  Ethel !  Ef  I  were  on  de 
frone,  peers  like, I'd  raise  de  good  man  up  quicker'n 
lightnin',  ef  it  busted  me,  and  I  had  ter  pick 
up  de  plaguy  splinters  and  build  my  calkerlations 
all  ober  agin  !  I  say,  it  peers  like  ;  but  I  is  a 
poor  fool  before  de  Lord,  and  I  'spects  He  laugh 
at  my  heterdoxy,  and  will  sometime  make  us  all 
laugh  when  we  discubber  how  much  wiser  He  lub 
us  den  we  lub  ourselves.  He  knows  I  is  a  po' 
silly  coot ;  but  He  pity  me,  'cause  I  feels  so  bad 
in  my  ignor?nce.  De  dear  doctor!  De  dear 
Miss  Ethel  !  "' 

His  voice  choked,  and  he  could  say  no  more. 
As  he  was  not  needed,  he  could  not  be  prevailed 
upon  to  even  wait  for  a  more  hearty  breakfast ; 
but,  provided  with  a  generous  lunch,  he  started 
homeward,  declaring  if  he  could  not  find  the  let 
ter  on  the  way  back,  he  would  follow  his  "spici- 
ons  unde :  de  eye  ob  de  Lord  widout  fear." 


CHAPTER  XLIII. 

A    SUPPOSED    ENGAGEMENT. 

A  FTER  breakfast  Theodore  Thornton  or 
^*  Thcde,  as  he  was  called,  whispered  that  his 
sister  was  sitting  up  and  would  see  me.  I  went 
to  my  room,  and  in  silent  prayer,  asked  to  be 
guided  aright  in  all  I  should  do  or  say. 

On  my  way  to  Theo,  I  managed  to  get  one 
more  look  at  Ethel,  while  my  heart  was  hers,  and 
before  it  might  be  bound  to  another.  I  would 
have  given  worlds,  I  thought,  had  I  them  to  give, 
could  I  know  what  her  feelings  were  towards  me. 
"Does  she  see  ho\v  I  have  silently  loved  her? 
and  does  she  expect  me  to  avo\v  it?  and  will  she 
be  disappointed  and  suffer  if  I  do  not?"  These 
and  other  burning  questions  surged  through  my 
brain,  and  stirred  my  heart,  as  I  looked  longingly 
after  her  for  some  sii/n  or  token  for  my  guidance, 

o  J      o 

ere  it  should  be  too  late.  My  destiny  seemed  to 
me  to  be  hanging  in  the  balance,  which  a  feu- 
minutes  would  decide  irrevocably  and  forever. 
She  looked  pale,  doubtless  thinking  of  her  father, 
but  no  less  beautiful  on  that  account.  Indeed, 
her  pathetic,  spiritual  face  seemed  all  the  more 
glorified  as  if  it  had  caught  something  of  the  light 
which  illumines  the  immortal  fields  beyond. 

399 


400  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


"She  would  never  suffer  on  my  account  like 
Theo,"  I  thought ;  for  she  is  stronger  to  conquer 
disappointment,  but  more  especially  because  she 
could  never  love  me  like  Thco.  She  is  too 
supremely  lovely  to  find  sufficient  attractions 
in  me,"  and  I  turned  away  with  a  sigh  and  a 
benumbing  pain  in  my  heart,  which  words  can 
not  describe. 

"God,  help  me  to  do  just  right,"  was  my 
prayer,  as  I  stopped  at  Theo's  door,  which  was 
slightly  ajar,  and  entered  in  answer  to  her  voice. 
She  certainly  looked  very  attractive,  even  angelic, 
and  it  seemed  to  me  there  must  be  some  mistake 
in  Thede's  intimation  that  I  was  the  ideal  object 
of  her  devotion.  If  Thede  was  right,  she  must 
have  got  too  high  an  impression  of  me,  and  it  was 
my  first  duty  to  undeceive  her  if  possible. 

As  I  have  elsewhere  explained,  Theo  and  Ethel 
had  attractive  qualities  very  much  in  common. 
Their  points  of  resemblance  in  disposition  and  in 
their  innocent,  winsome  ways  were  wonderful ; 
and  I  was  conscious  that  I  liked  Theo  immensely, 
and  that  had  I  not  met  Ethel,  that  liking  might 
easily  ripen  into  love,  especially  under  the  warmth 
of  her  own  great  affection. 

After  we  had  exchanged  greetings  and  little 
mutual  confidences,  in  which  she  revealed  some 
traits  strikingly  reminding  me  of  Ethel,  I  ex 
claimed  in  a  burst  of  frankness,  "  Were  there  ever 
before  in  this  world  two  such  delightful  creatures 
as  you  and  Miss  Blentwood  !  " 

"Is  she  the  one?     Is   Ethel  the  one?  "Theo 


ENGAGEMENT.  401 


repeated  eagerly,  her  face  all  aglow  with  interest. 
She  raised  her  hand  trembling  with  excitement,  as 
if  to  wrest  the  truth  from  me.  ''If  she  is  the  one 
I  am  the  happiest  person  alive." 

She  does  not  love  me  after  all,  I  thought,  and 
strange  to  say,  I  felt  a  twinge  of  disappointment. 
If  Theo  did  not,  then  Ethel  could  not,  and  I  felt 
myself  rejected  by  both. 

"Are  you  then  so  eager  to  get  rid  of  me?"  I 
asked  unreasonably,  forgetting  for  the  moment 
that  I  was  supposed  to  be  ignorant  of  her  love  for 
me. 

"I?"  she  asked,  lookingat  me  greatly  pu/y.led. 
"  Have  you  forgotten  the  conversation  we  had  on 
a  former  occasion  J.  " 

"No." 

"  You  then  loved  one  to  whom  you  had  not  pro 
posed  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  \Yell,  now  my  question  was  simply  this,  Is 
Ethel  Blentwood  the  one?  1  call  her  Ethel,  for 
we  have  become  the  most  intimate  and  dearest  of 
friends." 

"  If  you  two  could  not  love  each  other,"  I  said, 
trying  to  smile,  "I  should  think  the  world  was 
going  back  to  chaos,  and  that  such  propositions 
in  Euclid  as,  'Things  equal  to  the  same  thing  are- 
equal  to  each  other,'  are  fundamentally  wrong,  and 
that  there  is  no  such  thing  as  a  self-evident  truth." 

"That  does   not   answer  my  question,    please,' 
she  urged,  half  smiling,  yet  with  an  anxious,  wist 
ful  look. 
26 


402  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Well,  what  if  I  did  have  the  hardihood  to  love 
Ethel  Blentwood — 

"  Did  ?     Do  you  not  love  her  still?" 

"  Well,  what  if  I  do  ?  A  cat  can  look  at  a  king  ; 
but  that  does  not  imply  that  the  king  takes  any 
notice  of  the  cat.  My  love,  however,  is  not  an 
impertinence  so  long  as  I  do  not  trouble  her  with 
it." 

"  Why  not  trouble  her  with  it,  pray  ?  " 

"  It  would  be  foolish  to  expect  her  to  respond 
favorably,  and  I  fear  it  would  be  wrong  to  ask  it 
of  one  so  superior  to  me  every  way — so  worthy  of 
the  wealthiest  as  well  as  the  wisest  and  best." 

"  You  do  not  estimate  yourself  at  your  proper 
value,  unlike  most  young  men  I  know." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  imply  that  Ethel  Blentwood 
could  love  me  ?  " 

"  I  don't  see  how  she  could  help  it,  if  she  felt 
sure  of  you.  Why  do  you  doubt  ?  " 

"  Because — because  I  think  if — if  you  do  not, 
she  cannot ;  for  you  two  are  strangely  blended  in 
my  ideal.  You  belong  together.  It  is  hard  to 
separate  you." 

She  looked  up  at  me  amazed,  and  yet  pleased, 
as  she  saw  I  was  not  trifling.  The  color  came 
and  went,  the  golden  clasp  on  her  bosom  rose 
and  fell,  and  visibly  shook  with  the  conflict  of  her 
emotions.  She  dropped  her  eyes,  but  at  length 
growing  calm,  looked  up  at  me  so  frankly,  so 
completely  unreserved,  and  withal  so  affection 
ately,  that  I  wanted  to  clasp  her  in  my  arms,  and 
call  her  my — dear  sister.  I  refrained,  how- 


.-/  SUPPOSED  ENGAGEMENT. 


403 


ever,   from   the   fear    that   I   should    use    stronger 

o 

terms,  and,  thus,  perhaps,  go  beyond  the  leadings 
or  requirements  of  Providence. 

"  I  see,"  she  said,  "  you  wish  me  to  interpret 
Ethel's  feelings  towards  you.  You  are  right  in 
this,  that  our  tastes  are  alike,  and  our  hearts  beat 
as  one.  \Yhat  she  loves  I  love,  and,  therefore, 
only  one  of  us  can  marry,  and  that  one  cannot  be 
myself." 

Not  knowing'  what  I  ought  to  say,  but  thinking 
of  Thede's  implication  that  her  very  life  depended 
on  me,  I  arose  and  walked  the  room.  Stopping 
at  length  near  her  chair,  and  placing  my  left  hand 
on  her  shoulder,  I  asked  : 

"  If  it  be  true  that  you  two  must  love  only  the 
same  person,  why  should  you  yield  the  wedding- 
ring  to  Ethel?  Why  not  accept  it  yourself?" 

"  If  I  could,  you  mean  ;  "  and  she  smiled 
tenderly  up  at  me.  Closing  her  eyes  for  a 
moment,  either  to  think  or  to  hide  them  from 
me,  she  continued,  ''  I  think  I  can  put  my  answer 
into  three  reasons  :  First,  Ethel  has  the  prospect 
of  a  long  and  helpful  life,  while  my  days  are 
numbered  ;  second,  she  could  make  the  man  of 
her  choice  more  useful,  and  therefore,  perhaps, 
more  blessed  than  I  could  ;  and  third,  I  should 
feel  happier  in  her  happiness,  as  well  as  more 
content  with  myself  in  the  consciousness  of  doing 
right,  than  I  otherwise  could." 

"  You  are  an  unselfish  girl,"  I  said  warmly. 
"You  will  occupy  a  higher  place  in  heaven  than 
I.  You  deserve  it.  You  are  qualified  for  it. 


404  SHIPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


Yes,  you  have  the  qualities  that  make  heaven  on 
the  earth.  Why  not  live,  and  make  it  ?  " 

"  I  would  if  I  could,"  she  answered,  sweetly 
puzzled.  "  Where  and  how  shall  I  begin  ?  " 

"  Begin  with  me,  here  and  now,"  I  replied,  led 
on  by  great  admiration  and  sympathy,  by  a  desire 
to  discharge  my  whole  duty,  by  the  luxury  of 
self-sacrifice  for  another's  welfare,  by  gratitude 
for  her  affection,  and  by  a  feeling  closely  akin  to 
love.  "  You  must  not  think  of  dying.  The  world 
needs  you.  Your  friends  need  you.  I  need  you. 
Live  for  me,  if  for  no  one  else.  Will  you  ? 
Promise  you  will  live  for  my  sake."  I  took  both 
of  her  hands  in  mine,  and  the  consciousness  that 
I  was  doing  right  thrilled  me  with  content  and 
happiness,  as  I  waited  her  answer. 

"May  I  not  live  for  another's  sake?"  she 
asked,  with  a  roguish  twinkle  in  her  moist  eyes, 
referring  to  Ethel,  though  I  did  not  then  catch 
her  meaning. 

"  Yes,  for  your  sake  and  mine,"  was  my  answer. 

"  I  feel  as  if  I  must  cry  a  little,"  she  said,  with 
a  trembling  voice.  "  Will  you  let  me  cry  on 
your  shoulder  ?  " 

"  Certainly,"  I  replied,  drawing  her  to  me  ; 
"  cry  all  you  wish.  When  she  at  last  dried  her 
eyes,  and  looked  up,  she  asked  : 

"  Do  you  think  me  childish  ?  " 

"  No,"  I  answered,  "  it  is  even  noble  to  cry. 
The  shedding  of  tears  is  something  the  lower 
animals  cannot  do.  Jesus  wept,  and  He  was  the 
highest  ideal  of  humanity.  I  should  be  afraid  of 


A  surras  r.n  E.VGAGEMEXT.  405 

a  woman  who  could  not  cry,  and  I  hope  you  will 
cry  in  the  same  place  whenever  you  feel  like  it." 

She  laughed  a  happy,  bird-like  little  laugh,  and 
said  gratefully,  "  I  thought  men  did  not  like  to 
see  women  cry.  I  thank  you  for  bearing  with 
me.  I  appreciate  your  kindness,  and  am  myself 
again  now." 

"  I  hope  you  will  have  no  cause  for  weeping, 
except  for  joy  on  your  own  account,  or  in  sym 
pathy  for  others.  But  you  have  not  answered 
my  question.  Will  you  start  a  heaven  on  the 
earth,  and  live  for  my  sake  ?  " 

"  Does  that  depend  on  my  own  volition  ?  "  she 
asked,  smiling. 

"Yes." 

"  Then  I  will  accomplish  my  mission,  if  you 
will  let  me  have  my  own  way  about  it." 

"  You  shall  follow  your  own  sweet  will  fully 
and  freely.  Gladden  us  all  by  getting  well,  and 
I  will  be  obedient  to  your  every  wish." 

"I  thank  you,"  she  said  simply,  though  affec 
tionately,  "  and  now  let  us  talk  of  another 
matter?  " 

Not  appearing  to  notice  my  surprise  at  this 
anti-romantic  climax,  she  asked,  "  Do  you  know 
one  of  Dr.  Blentwood's  parishioners  by  the  name 
of  Stockmire  ?  " 

"  Somewhat." 

"  What  kind  of  a  man  is  he?  " 

"  I  do  not  know." 

"  You  doubt  him?  " 

"  Perhaps  unjustly." 


406  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Well,  Ethel  has  showed  me  a  letter  from  him, 
on  which  I  wish  your  opinion,  as  she  wished 
mine.  Mr.  Stockmire  writes  he  cannot  take  as 
final  Ethel's  refusal  of  her  hand  in  marriage,  and 
urges  her  to  consider  well  her  father's  lost  fortune, 
and  his  precarious  pastorate,  which  may  terminate 
any  day,  should  he  withhold  his  aid,  but  which, 
supported  as  it  always  would  be,  by  him  as  his 
son-in-law,  might  be  prolonged  indefinitely.  He 
closes  by  trusting,  that,  for  her  sake  as  well  as 
that  of  her  father,  who  losing  his  present  pastor 
ate,  would  be  too  old  and  feeble  to  command 
another,  she  would  respond  favorably  to  this,  his 
last  appeal.  He  would  give  her  two  days  to 
decide,  and  then,  if  not  heard  from,  he  should  let 
things  take  their  course." 

"  The  rascal  !  "  I  said,  springing  up  from  Theo's 
chair,  on  which  I  was  sitting.  "  She  must  loathe 
the  reptile.  What  does  she  say  !  What — 

"  Please  be  not  so  excited,''  interrupted  Theo, 
with  a  meaning  smile  and  a  still  more  meaning 
little  shake  of  her  head.  "Your  judgment  may 
not  be  disinterested  ;  but  I  think  you  are  right. 
A  man,  who  would  bring  a  girl's  father  into  his 
plea  for  her  hand  the  way  Mr.  Stockmire  does,  is — 
is  all  you  pronounce  him  to  be.  Ethel  asked  me  if 
duty  to  her  father  required  her  to  make  such  a 
sacrifice.  She  trembled  as  she  asked  it  ;  for  she 
loves  her  father,  and  would  do  everything  she 
deemed  right  to  save  him  pain  or  add  to  his 
happiness." 

"  And  what  did  you  tell  her?  "  I  asked,  unable 


A  SUPPOSED  ENGA  GEMEXT. 


407 


to  wait  longer,  and  not  realizing  that  Theo  might 
be  testing  my  feelings  for  Ethel. 

"  Ah  !  you  arc  interested,  I  see,"  she  answered, 
looking  at  me  slyly,  and  yet  sympathetically.  "1 
admire  your  impatience.  Well,  I  told  her  1  would 
help  remove  the  sense  of  duty,  and  then  she  could 
let  her  heart  decide.  I  went:— for  my  sympathies 
made  me  strong— I  went  to  the  safe  where  Thede 
and  I  keep  some  of  our  valuables,  and,  taking 
three  thousand  dollars  in  Government  bonds,  I 
placed  them  in  her  hands." 

"  Noble  soul  !  "  1  cried,  taking  my  seat  again 
on  the  arm  of  her  chair,  and  looking  at  her 
admiringly.  "  How  can  the  world  spare  such  a 
blessing  as  you  are  to  everybody  !  " 

"  Oh  !  that  was  not  a  noble  act,"  she  answered, 
deprecatingly.  "  I  fear  it  was  one  of  the  most 
selfish  things  I  ever  did." 

"  I  would  like  to  know  how  you  figure  that 
out,"  I  interjected. 

"  For,"  she  went  on  as  if  1  had  not  spoken, 
"I  loved  her  from  the  very  first,  thoroughly,  ex 
haustively,  if  you  know  what  that  means,  and 
craved  her  love  in  return — craved  it  with  almost 
a  death  hunger,  and  I  wished  to  bind  her  to  me 
forever,  as  well  as  to  save  her  for  her  own  sake.' 

"  I    do    not    wonder,"    I    said,    enthusiastic, illy, 

"  for— 

She   put   her  hand   on   my  mouth   with,  "'lell 

that  to  Ethel." 

"Well,"  I  said,  patting  her  flushed  check,  "do 
let  me  wish  the  world  were  full  of  just  such  self- 


408  SHIPS  BY  DA  Y. 


ish  creatures  as  you  are.  And  now  tell  me  how 
Ethel  received  your  kindness,  or  selfishness,  if 
you  so  term  it." 

"  O,  she  refused  it  until  she  saw  she  was  making 
me  unhappy,  when  she  accepted  ;  and  then  we 
embraced  and  kissed  each  other,  and  cried  and 
laughed,  and  finally  thanked  God  together,  she 
for  the  rescue  as  she  called  it,  and  both  of  us  for 
a  God-given  friend.  I  do  believe  Ethel  Blent- 
wood  is  the  best  girl  that  ever  lived  ;  and  I  feel 
so  exalted  by  her  love — so  happy  in  it  !  And — 
and  then  there  is  your  own,  good,  kind,  noble, 
generous  self  !  I  have  both  of  you,  the  very  best 
of  your  kind.  I  have  abundant  reason  to  be 
grateful.  And  Oh  !  I  am  in  ecstasies  of  delight 
at  the  prospect  of  a  goodly  mission  before  my 
promotion  to  a  higher  service,  where,  at  the  proper 
time,  I  will  wait  and  watch  at  the  gate  for  Ethel 
and  for  you.  And  now,  good-by  for  a  while  ;  for 
I  think  I  can  rest  with  pleasant  dreams,  day 
dreams  though  they  be." 


CHAPTER    XLIV. 

CHARLEY    AND    I. 

A  S  I  left  the  room,  Theodore  Thornton  met 
^  me  in  the  hall,  and  announced  that  Dr. 
Lightheart's  brother  had  arrived  and  wished 
to  see  me.  I  found  Charley  in  the  parlor  walking 
the  floor  impatient!}',  and  he  sprang  to  me  with 
his  old-time,  delightful  greeting. 

''  I  have  seen  Ethel  and  her  father,"  he  said, 
"and  I  fear  she  will  soon  have  to  find  in  you  a 
father  as  well  as  a  friend." 

A  groan  eseaped  me  at  the  thought  of  being 
debarred  from  that  privilege.  Charley  took  it 
only  as  a  token  of  sympathy,  and  went  on  : 

"  You  need  not  fear  Stockmire  ;  he  has  married 
Miss  Elison,  and.  with  her  parents  dead,  he  is 
now  in  the  coveted  management  of  all  the  Eli- 
son  estate." 

"  Well,  well  !  "  1  exclaimed,  "  When  did  that 
take  place  ?  " 

"  Last  evening,  and  he  has  sold  his  business 
and  is  to  go  west  at  once,  doubtless  full  of  dreams 
of  coming  millions  on  a  cattle  ranch,  which  is  the 

o 

promising  business  just  now." 

409 


410  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  You  surprise  me.  The  movement  is  so  sud 
den,  so  extraordinary  !  " 

"  It  is  high  time  he's  off.  His  popularity  is  on 
the  wane.  People  are  putting  together  his  con 
troversy  with  Deacon  Toper,  in  which  it  is  now 
believed  Stockmire  lied  ;  his  taking  pay  fraudu 
lently  out  of  the  proceeds  of  a  church  fair  for  his 
own  dishes,  which  he,  himself  broke  by  his  own 
carelessness  ;  his  selling  bonds,  which  he  must 
have  known  to  be  worthless,  though  it  cannot  be 
proved  ;  his  dishonest  stand  against  Dr.  Blent- 
wood,  pretending  to  be  his  friend,  when  he  was 
at  the  bottom  of  all  the  mischief  ;  and  finally,  his 
obtaining  money  under  false  pretences,  to  say 
nothing  of  whisperings  and  suspicions  of  some 
thing  too  dark  to  be  believed — 

"  I  cannot  think  he  committed  murder,"  I 
broke  in,  "  though  the  three  deaths  naturally 
raise  a  suspicion.  Stockmire  had  two  gods, 
money  and  position,  and  his  object  with  the 
pastor  was  to  line  his  own  pockets,  and,  at  the 
same  time,  reduce  Dr.  Blentwood  to  penury  and 
dependence,  and  secure  the  hand  of  Ethel  through 
her  sense  of  duty  to  her  father."  I  related  what 
the  reader  already  knows. 

"  He  is  a  worse  knave  than  I  supposed  !  " 
Charley  exclaimed.  "  And  that  reminds  me, 
there  may  be  something  worth  studying  in  these 
bits  of  a  letter  Tom  made  me  promise  to  deliver 
to  you." 

He  poured  the  contents  of  an  envelope  on  a 
table,  and  we  worked  on  the  pieces  for  over  an 


CHARLEY  A XD  L  4II 


hour,  arranging'  and  rearranging  ;  but  so  many 
bits  being  gone,  we  could  make  out  only  parts  of 
sentences.  On  one  piece  was  "  Airs.  E.,"  which, 
we  inferred,  might  be  the  signature  to  a  letter 
from  Mrs.  Elison.  Other  pieces  indicated  a 
financial  statement  by  Air.  Stockmire,  in  which 
the  names  of  Elison  and  Blentwood  appear  witli 
the  selling  to  them  of  Vt.  C.  bonds,  at  a  net 
profit  of  $10,000  ;  but  we  could  not  make  out  a 
statement  sufficiently  clear  to  prove  a  fraudulent 
transaction,  however  morally  convinced  of  his 
rascality.  Aliss  Blentwood  was  called  in  and 
asked  how  many  bonds  her  father  bought  of  Air. 
Stockmire.  She  only  knew  that  nearly  all  his 
means  were  invested  in  them,  even  to  a  large 
mortgage  on  their  house,  probably  all  the  house 
would  sell  for  in  the  present  financial  depres 
sion. 

"  When  did  you  learn  they  were  worthless?"  I 
asked. 

"  The  evening  before  we  left  home,"  was  her 
answer. 

"Ah!"  I  said,  "  that  accounts  for  your  agi 
tated  condition  the  next  morning  at  breakfast." 

"  You  noticed  it,  then  !  Well,  it  was  wholly 
on  father's  account  I  was  troubled.  He:  does  not 
yet  know  his  loss,  and  I  do  not  wish  him  to  know. 
I  prefer  Mr.  Stockmire  should  go  unpunished 
rather  than  disturb  father's  few  remaining  days 
by  the  thought  that  I  am  left  penniless  I  am 
not  destitute,  however,  thanks  to  a  very  dear 
friend,"  referring  to  'I  heo. 


412  SHIPS  B\  DAY. 


Cut  off  from  the  only  source  of  information 
available,  and  as  Stockmire  was  about  to  leave 
the  state,  we  felt  forced  to  drop  the  whole 
matter,  and  leave  him  in  the  hands  of  Providence, 
believing  that  in  time  his  real  character  would  be 
revealed. 

"  And  now,  Elbert,  my  boy,"  said  Charley 
brightening,  and  placing  a  hand  on  my  knee 
familiarly,  as  we  were  alone  again,  "  let  us  talk 
about  a  matter,  where  I  am  living  mostly  these 
days.  Congratulate  me  on  my  forthcoming  pro 
motion  on  the  paper.  It  is  a  worldly  fact,  I  know  ; 
but  it  stands  in  the  outer  court  of  my  soul,  pro 
phetic  of  paradise ;  for  promotion  means  more 
money,  and  more  money  means  housekeeping ! 
As  soon  as  I  am  advanced  in  pay,  I  shall  run 
for  the  steam  cars  pointing  towards  wedded  bliss. 
You  know  Carrie  has  consented  to  begin  at  the 
foot  of  the  hill,  and  climb  up  with  me ;  and  when 
the  little  more  pay  comes,  I  shall  fly  to  my 
Carrie,  and  then  to  you.  Have  the  noose  ready 
to  slip  over  our  heads  at  once." 

"  No  immediate  danger  of  a  promotion  ?  "  I 
asked,  smiling  at  his  half-earnest  and  half-mock 
enthusiasm. 

"  It  may  come  to-morrow,  and  if  it  does,  steam- 
power  will  be  too  slow  in  taking  me  to  Carrie,  the 
first  and  only  real  Carrie  of  the  ages  ;  the  town 
clerk  will  be  too  slow  in  writing  out  the  certifi 
cate,  and  the  distance  thence  to  you  will  seem 
leagues  too  long  !  " 


CHARLEY  AND  I. 


"  Carrie's  folk  \vill  wish  to  give  her  a  home  wed 
ding  and  reception,  will  they  not,  Charley  ?  " 

"A  reception  is  all  right.  I  can  issue  'At 
Homes 'after  my  happiness  is  secured;  but  a 
wedding  party  implies  delay,  and  delay  is  sus 
pended  life.  What  !  do  you  suppose  1  am  going 
to  dally  outside  of  domestic  felicity  after  the  only 
hinderance  to  our  marriage  is  removed  ?  1  am 
not  the  boy  to  rush  headlong,  panting  for  breath, 
in  my  hurry  to  reach  heaven's  door,  and  then 
stand  shivering  on  the  step  with  my  hand  on  the 
door  knob  !  No  sir  !  The  moment  my  hand  is 
on  the  knob,  the  knob  turns,  the  door  to  double 
blessedness  flies  open,  and  I  am  within  !  Eveiy 
second  of  felicity  in  this  world  is  worth  saving — 
that's  my  motto  ;  and,  whenever  and  wherever  1 
see  any  particles  of  bliss  lying  round  loose,  I  am 
going  to  pick  them  up,  if  I  have  a  right  to 
them." 

"  An  excellent  motto,  Charley,  if  rightly  ap 
prehended,"  I  said,  after  getting  control  of  my 
self.  "  It  enfolds  a  whole  volume  of  sermons.  If 
people  would  appreciate  and  use  every  oppor 
tunity  of  giving  and  receiving  pleasure,  this  world 
would  quickly  become  a  paradise.  The  world  has 
advanced  in  science  and  the  arts,  and  general 
intelligence,  much  faster  than  it  has  in  learning 
how  to  be  happy.  Sympathy  and  spirituality  lag 
behind;  and  half  the  cruelty  and  half  the  un- 
happiness  of  the  world  comes  from  sheer,  stupid 
incapacity  to  put  one's  self  in  another's  place." 

"  Good,  my  dear  Klbert  !      No\v  put  yourself  in 


414  SHIPS  BY  DAY 


Ethel's  place.  Her  father  is  about  to  take  a  long 
journey  never  to  return,  and  then  she  will  be 
lonely  indeed.  Make  her  and  that  anxious  father 
both  happy  by  marrying  her  before  he  goes." 

"  Your  application  isn't  the  logical  sequence  to 
my  comment  on  your  motto,  I  think;  but  if  it  is, 
you  forget,  Charley,  that  it  takes  two,  and  in  this 
case  three,  to  make  a  bargain,  and  that  the 
standard  of  excellence  with  Ethel  Blentwood  and 
her  father  is  very,  very  high — too  high  for  me 
to  reach." 

"  I  forget  nothing.  They  are  both  great  and 
good,  I  know,  and  so  are  you.  Oh,  don't  inter 
rupt  me  with  that  deprecating  look  and  gesture. 
I'll  take  your  opinion  on  everything  except  your 
self.  Don't  you  suppose  I  know  the  estimation 
in  which  you  are  held  ?  If  you  wasn't  as  blind  as 
a  bat,  you  would  see  that  Ethel  loves  you,  and 
that  nothing  would  please  her  father  more — 

"  Oh,  don't,  Charley  !  "  I  interrupted,  "  you  are 
cutting  me  as  with  a  knife." 

"  I  am  only  trying  to  cut  away  the  films  from 
your  eyes  to  give  you  a  glimpse,  and  then  a  walk 
over,  straight  into  heaven — a  heaven  below,  I 
mean.  Is  it  a  torture  to  take  a  peep  into  un 
limited  happiness?" 

''  You  know  not  what  you  are  saying,"  I  said, 
rising  and  walking  the  room,  trembling  with 
emotion.  "  The  subject  is  too  painful,  too  sacred 
to  trifle  with.  Let  us  talk  of  something  to  our 
profit." 

"  For  once,  at  least,  I  am  serious,"  he  replied, 


CHARLEY  A XI)  /. 


4<5 


coming  forward  and  placing  both  hands  on  my 
shoulders.  "Mark  my  words:  Ethel  loves  you, 
and  expects  you  to  propose.  You  have  given  her 
reason  to  expect  it,  and  if  you  do  not,  the  first 
sin  of  your  life,  I  believe,  lies  at  your  door." 

"  Charley  Lightheart  !  "  I  cried,  grasping  his 
arms  in  the  intensity  of  my  feelings,  "  you  and  I 
are  near  and  dear  friends,  and  I  charge  you,  if 

o          J 

merely  surmising,  to  take  back  those  words,  and 
save  me  from  a  life-long  sorrow." 

"  What  can  yon  mean,  old  friend  ?  Don't  I 
know  how  you  have  loved  her?  And  now  do  you 
not  welcome  her  love  in  return  ?  Are  you  not 
the  same  Elbert  ?  How  can  I  recall  words  truly 
spoken  ?  And  why  should  they  not  make  you 
glad?" 

"  Charley,"  I  answered,  slowly  and  solemnly, 
"  what  if  duty  calls  in  another  direction,  and  the 
very  life  of  a  noble  girl  hangs  on  my  willingness 
to  put  the  wedding-ring  on  her  finger?" 

"  Is  it  possible  you  could  give  another  girl 
reason  ?  " 

"  No,  no,  Charley  ;  not  knowingly.  Indeed,  I 
expressly  told  her  (when  she  was  extolling  some 
one  I  had  no  reason  to  infer  was  myself)  that  I 
loved  another.  It  has  always  been  a  matter  of 
sacred  honor  with  me  to  give  no  false  impression. 
I  speak  in  confidence,  because  you  require  an 
explanation,  and  I  trust  in  your  honor  not  to 
repeat  it.  Remember,  I  am  not  to  be  commiser 
ated.  Theo  is  worth  a  dozen  of  me,  and  will 
make  me  abundantly  happy,  if -I  can  be  assured 


4 1 6  SHfPS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


I  have  done  no  harm  to  Ethel,  to  whom  I  may 
have  unconsciously  revealed  my  heart.  God 
bless  them  both." 

"  Ah  !  it  is  Theo,  is  it  ?  She  is  indeed  a  noble 
girl  ;  but  I  do  want  you  to  marry  Ethel  for  her 
sake,  for  her  father's  sake,  for  your  sake  and 
mine,  and  for  the  sake  of  the  infinite  fitness  of 
things ;  and  I  do  not  think  she  can  forget  you 
any  easier  than  Theo,  though,  being  stronger,  she 
may  more  easily  conquer  and  control  her  outward 
appearance.  I  believe  she  can  love  as  truly,  as 
tenaciously,  and  even  more  heroically." 

"  Her  equal  she  may  doubtless  so  love,  but  I 
am  not  her  equal  ;  besides,  what  can  I  do, 
Charley  ?  I  do  not  deserve  either  of  these  girls. 
God  help  me  to  know  and  to  do  exactly  what  is 
right.  I  see  no  way  but  to  go  right  on  as  Provi 
dence  seems  to  dirert,  hoping  for  the  best." 

We  were  silent  for  a  few  minutes,  when  Mr. 
Thornton  came  in  to  take  us  to  dinner.  He  had 
looked  in  upon  Theo,  and  his  face  was  beaming 
with  gladness.  Casting  a  grateful  glance  at  me, 
he  said,  "  The  day  of  miracles  is  not  passed ! 
Theo  says  she  is  to  dine  with  us  to-day,  and  is 
more  like  her  old  self  than  for  a  long  time." 


CHAPTER    XLV. 

TIIKO    IMPARTS    A    SECRET. 

T"1  H  EDE  had  hardly  finished,  when  Theo  entered 

the  room  with  a  pleasant  greeting,  and  a  cor 
dial  welcome  to  Charley,  and  walked  to  the  dining- 
room  with  as  firm  a  step,  apparently,  as  if  she  had 
not  been  ill.  She  took  my  offered  arm,  she  said, 
"  as  an  ornament,  and  not  for  use."  She  was  very 
chatty  at  table,  and  entertained  us  with  her 
varied  and  pleasing-  conversation. 

As  we  rose  from  dinner,  and  lingered  a  little 
behind  the  others,  she  squeezed  my  arm,  and, 
looking  up  at  me  archly,  remarked  in  a  low 
voice  : 

"  I  have  a  surprise  for  you,  and  am  so  happy 
over  it,  I  don't  know  what  to  do  with  myself,  or 
when  and  how  to  tell  you.  I  think  I  must  roll  it 
as  a  precious  morsel  under  my  tongue,  and  enjoy 
its  sweetness  as  long  as  possible." 

"  Will  the  sweetness  exhale  as  soon  as  you 
have  parted  with  the  secret .'  " 

"  No,  indeed  !    but  the  surprise  will." 

"  Well,  now  you  have  warned  me,  I  shall  be 
fortified  against  surprise." 

"  Against  the  fact,  but  not  against  the  kind. 
I  have  taken  Ethel  and  her  father  into  my  con- 
27  41? 


4i8  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


fidcnce  somewhat — just  a  little  bit,  to  make  sure 
it  would  not  kill  them  ! — did  it  when  you  and 
Charley  were  entertaining  each  other.  And  I 
shall  break  the  news  to  you — oh,  sometime !  " 

"Is  it  something  dreadful,  Theo?  Had  I 
better  take  chloroform  as  a  preparation  ?  Is  it 
something  that  will  come  suddenly  or  gradually  ? 
And  will  it  last  long  ?  " 

"  Ah  !  how  much  will  you  give  to  know  ? " 
with  a  tantalizing  look  and  a  pretty  shake  of  the 
head.  "  Oh — Oh  !  I  am  afraid  I  shall  have  to 
tell  right  off.  It  is  too  great  happiness  to  keep 
from  you  any  longer.  You  are  too  good  a  boy. 
After  Charley  leaves,  come  into  my  sitting-room." 

We  had  now  reached  the  long  parlor,  where 
Ethel  excused  herself,  and,  bidding  Charley  good 
bye,  went  to  her  father.  Charley  left  soon  on 
"  urgent  business  "  for  his  paper,  and  Theo,  in 
forming  her  brother  she  had  something  to  tell 
him  by  and  bye,  went  to  her  room,  leaving  Thede 
and  me  alone  together. 

"  I  think  I  can  guess  what  she  has  to  com 
municate,"  said  he,  rising  with  his  big  hand 
extended ;  "  for  no  one  but  you  could  have 
wrought  such  a  miracle  in  my  sister's  condition, 
and  I  wish  to  give  you  a  brother's  grip  of  thanks. 
Have  I  not  a  brother  in  you  ?  " 

"  You  have,"  I  answered,  returning  his  warm 
grasp,  "  and  I  will  do  all  in  my  power  to  make 
Theo's  life  a  happy  one  as  long  as  Heaven  loans 
her  to  earth,  and,  should  I  outlive  her,  I  shall  ever 
honor  and  cherish  her  memory." 


TI-IKO  IMPARTS  A  Sl-.CRKT. 


419 


"  May  the  God  you  serve  bless  you  both,"  he 
said  earnestly,  and  left  the  room.  At  the  door, 
he  managed  to  add,  "  I  leave  you  both  to  better 
company  than  I  can  furnish." 

I  remained  alone  a  few  minutes,  lost  in  my  own 
reflections,  and  then,  recalling  Theo's  command, 
I  tapped  at  her  door.  She  came  forward  as  I 
entered,  and,  taking  me  by  the  hand,  led  me  to 
the  sofa,  and  seating  herself  by  my  side,  looked 
up  into  my  face  with  that  charming  confidence  and 
sweetness,  which  she  and  Ethel  both  had  in  com 
mon,  and  beaming  with  pleasure  at  what  she  was 
about  to  communicate,  said  : 

"  I  have  good  news  for  you — awfully  good 
news." 

"Awful  and  yet  good  !  So  good  I  shall  stand 
in  awe  of  it,  I  suppose?" 

"  Yes,  bordering  on  the  sublime,  you  know. 
At  any  rate,  it  is  tremendous,  stupendous,  mag 
nificent,  perfectly  lovely  ! — just  what  ought  to 
be." 

"  I  am  afraid  you  are  raising  my  expectations 
too  high.  Do  divide  your  secret  with  me  before 
I  burst  with  curiosity." 

"  Well,  first  I  must  exact  a  promise  that  you 
will  not  fly  up  through  the  roof  never  to  come 
clown  again  !  " 

"  I  promise." 

"  Prepare  yourself  for  the  shock,  then.      Here  it 
is— Ethel  Blentwood  loves  you   and   you   only! 
And  she  looked   into    my   face   as   if   to    read   my 
every  emotion. 


420  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  How  do  you  know  that  ?     I  asked. 

"  O,  not  from  her  own  lips  ;  but  I  saw  it  in  her 
eyes." 

"  And  you  are  jealous,  and  are  going  to  shoot 
somebody?  " 

"  Do  you  see  the  green-eyed  monster  in  my 
eyes?  It  would  be  there  if  you  were  not  loved 
by  her."  She  scanned  my  face  more  closely. 

"  What  !  do  you  wish  her  to  love  me  ?  Aren't 
you  afraid  that  will  make  me  love  her?  " 

"You  do  love  her  already." 

"  That  is  past  tense.  Let  the  dead  bury  their 
dead." 

"  Yes,  if  dead  ;  but  this  happens  to  be  a  corpse 
a  little  too  lively  to  submit  to  burial." 

"  I  thought  it  understood  between  us,  that  that 
particular  past  should  be  buried  and  forgotten  ; 
and  here  you  are  raking  off  the  ashes  from  an  old 
fire  to  see  if  there  are  any  live  coals,  and  fanning 
them  into  a  flame  by  telling  me  that  Ethel  loves 
me.  Are  you  testing  me  to  see  if  I  can — 

"  No,  no  !  You  would  be  as  true  as  steel 
wherever  you  had  set  your  promise.  I  know  that. 
But  I  want  you  to  love  Ethel  Blentwood  with  all 
your  heart — with  all  the  intensity  of  your  being." 

"And  not  love  you?" 

"  I  want  a  place  in  both  of  your  hearts — a  lov 
ing  and  trusted  sister's  place." 

"  And  that  is  all  ? 

"  All." 

"  Then  it  is  true,  is  it,  that  you  do  not  love 
me?" 


421 


"  O,  no  !  That  is  not  true.  I  must  be  fnink 
with  you.  I  really  believe  I  could  immolate  my 
body  on  an  altar  of  fire,  if  thereby  I  could  add 
to  your  happiness,  and  at  the  same  time,  please 
the  Master.  Your  blessedness  would  take  away 
all  the  pain  of  physical  torture." 

"  My  God  !  What  am  I  to  receive  such  love  ? 
And  yet  you  are  willing  and  anxious  to  give  me 
up  to  another  ?  " 

"  I  would  give  you  up  to  no  one  but  Ethel." 

"  And  why  even  to  her  ?  " 

"  Because  I  love  you  better  than  I  do  myself, 
and  want  to  see  you  make  the  most  of  yourself 
in  the  line  of  usefulness  as  well  as  happiness  ;  and 
Ethel  is  the  angel  sent  down  from  Heaven  ex 
pressly  to  meet  all  your  requirements,  and  help 
you  accomplish  your  mission." 

I  took  both  of  her  hands.  "  Do  you  think  I 
can  so  easily  give  you  up  and  lose  so  great  a  love, 
the  like  of  which  I  could  never  hope  to  see  again? 
I  am  too  selfish  for  that." 

"  Too     o-enerous,    you     mean.     You    would  be 

o  '       «/ 

equal  to  any  sacrifice  for  my  welfare,  and  1  know 
you  would  love  me  dearly,  .were  there  no  Ethel  ; 
but  there  is  an  Ethel,  my  ideal,  my  nobler  self, 
the  perfect  expression,  like  you,  of  what  I  would 
be,  but  am  not,  and,  knowing  her  to  be  so  much 
better  fitted  to  bring  out  the  affection,  the  glory 
— all  that  is  highest  and  deepest  in  you  for  your 
own  good  as  well  as  others',  I  want  you  to  marry 
her.  In  so  doing  you  will  marry  my  true  self- 
Theo  at  her  best." 


42  2  S///PS  B  Y  DA  Y. 


11  And  neither  retain,  nor  gain,  a  Theo's  love." 

"  Yes,  you  will  retain  my  love  cleansed  and 
purified  from  all  earthly  dross,  and  you  will  gain 
a  love  equal,  if  not  superior,  to  mine.  I  have 
sounded  the  depths  of  her  noble  nature  far 
enough  to  believe  that  she  may  be  yours  with  all 
the  wealth  of  her  being,  so  abundantly,  so  richly 
endowed — yours  for  the  asking." 

"  Theo,  the  very  sacrifice  you  would  make  only 
reveals  what  a  treasure  you  are,  and  draws  me 
closer  to  you.  You  are  too  good  to  lose." 

"You  will  not  lose  me.  I  shall  look  upon  you 
as  the  husband  of  my  spiritualized  and  better 
self,  and  I  want  the  privilege  of  being  a  trusted, 
confidential  friend  to  both  of  you.  Ethel  reads  me, 
and  knows  me,  too  well  to  be  jealous  of  the  sister's 
love  I  propose  to  give  you  both  henceforth." 

"  Theo,"  I  said,  looking  earnestly  into  her  eyes, 
"  do  you  mean  it?  Do  you  really  and  truly  wish 
me  to  marry  Ethel  Blentwood  ?  And  would  you 
live  just  as  long,  and  just  as  happily?  Speak  out 
freely,  frankly,  right  from  the  centre  of  your  great, 
good,  true  heart.  To  ever  know  that  you  vary 
now  a  hair's  breadth  from  the  truth  in  your  an 
swer,  would  kill  me.  I  cannot  see  you  sacrificed, 
and  be  myself  happy." 

"  Call  it  not  sacrifice  ;  for  I  can  be  happy  only 
in  seing  you  the  happy  husband  of  happy,  con 
fiding,  tenderly  loving  and  glorious  Ethel  Blent 
wood.  I  speak  the  truth." 

Her  face  seemed  transfigured,  as  she  looked  at 
me,  her  very  soul  shining  through  it  clear,  pure, 


THE  O  IMP  A  R  TS  A  SE  CRE  T.  423 

translucent  and  transparent  as  the  sunlight  which 
fell  at  that  moment  on  her  brow,  as  if  to  crown 
her  for  the  victory  she  had  attained  over  self.  It 
was  a  marvelous  exhibition  of  the  higher  nature 

o 

over  the  lower. 

How  did  she  reach  a  state  of  unselfishness  so 
beautiful  and  so  commanding  ?  The  Darwinian 
might  answer,  that  she  had  thrown  off  the  brute- 
inheritance,  which  is  always  selfish,  by  developing 
the  kindly,  sympathetic  side  of  her  nature,  and, 
thereby,  risen  above  the  animal  into  a  spiritual 
life.  The  Christian  could  answer,  that  the  secret 
of  her  victory  was  something,  which,  in  the  lan 
guage  of  Jesus  to  Peter,  "flesh  and  blood"  had 
not  revealed  unto  her,  and  that  her  attainment  was 
clearly  the  fruit  of  the  Spirit,  which,  Paul  tells  us, 
is  "  love,  joy,  peace,  long-suffering,  gentleness, 
goodness,  faith,  meekness,  temperance,"  or  self- 
control. 

But  the  question  forces  itself  upon  us,  Why 
should  such  goodness,  great  and  glorious  as  it  is, 
be  so  exceptional  ?  Is  it  not  within  the  possible 
reach  of  every  human  being  ?  Is  it  not  rather 
marvelous  that  in  these  last  days  of  the  nineteenth 
century,  since  the  planting  of  Christianity  on  the 
earth,  that,  instead  of  one  person,  there  are  not 
hundreds  exhibiting  the  full  fruit  of  the  Spirit? 
I  venture  the  assertion,  that  when  Christianity, 
as  portrayed  in  the  person  of  Jesus,  shall  be  bet 
ter  studied  and  appreciated,  there  will  be  a  great 
revolution  in  Christian  methods,  and  in  the  per 
sonnel  of  the  Christian  church. 


42 4  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


Then  the  dispositional  man,  or  beauty  of  char 
acter,  will  be  looked  upon  as  the  safest  exponent 
of  his  creed,  as  a  follower  of  Jesus,  the  Nazarene. 
Creed-worshippers  doubtless  believe  they  are  fol 
lowing  Him  ;  but  are  they,  except  from  afar?  Do 
they  exhibit  his  love,  his  self-sacrificing  spirit,  his 
sweet  temper,  his  considerate  attention  and  con 
descension  ?  Faith  in  a  creed  may  not  be  faith  in 
Him.  Jesus  says,  Follow  Me,  and  to  follow  Him 
is  to  pattern  after  Him. 

But  to  our  story.  Can  the  reader  imagine  my 
feelings,  as  I  looked  upon  Theo's  glowing  face  ? 
Her  assurance  that  my  first  and  real  love  was  re 
ciprocated,  made  me  long  to  fly  to  Ethel  and  tell 
her,  in  her  hour  of  sorrow,  how  dearly  I  loved  her, 
and  would  lift  the  burdens  of  life  from  her  ;  and 
then,  again,  it  seemed  awful  to  forsake  Theo, 
who  had  revealed  such  devotion — such  exalted 
traits  of  character.  How  would  her  self-denial 
affect  her  health  and  happiness  in  the  future,  if  I 
acquiesced  in  it  ?  Would  there  be  no  reaction  to 
her  enthusiasm,  no  coming  regret  ? 

"  How  can  I  leave  you  ?  "  I  asked,  "  or  be  happy 
in  the  thought  of  having  left  you,  however  bliss 
ful  my  union  with  Ethel  might  otherwise  be  ?  " 

"  Oh !  you  need  not,  must  not  pity  me.  Know 
you  not  that  the  happier  you  and  Ethel  are  in 
each  other's  love,  the  happier  I  shall  be  ?  Ever 
since  learning  that  Ethel  was  the  one,  I  have 
been  satisfied  and  glad  in  the  thought  of  your 
union.  Everything  is  just  as  it  should  be,  and 
we  shall  all  be  happy,  gloriously  happy.  Remem- 


THEO  IMPARTS  A  SECRET. 


425 


her  you  promised  to  let  me  have  my  own  \vuy, 
and  the  only  way  I  can  start  the  little  heaven 
you  asked  for  is  to  bring  you  and  Ethel  together. 
Any  other  course  would  be  misery,  and,  therefore, 
foolish,  suicidal,  wicked." 

The  rising  tides  within  me  overflowed  my  eyes, 
and  Theo,  pulling  my  head  clown,  said  sympa 
thetically,  "There  is  no  reason  why  a  brother 
should  not  weep  on  his  sister's  shoulder!  "  and  I 
did  weep  and  felt  better  for  it  ;  and  let  no  one- 
think  to  blame  me,  or  to  belittle  the  act.  until 
able  to  put  himself  or  herself  in  my  place.  The 
trial  to  a  sensitive  moral  nature  was  tremendous. 


CHAPTER    XLVl. 

A   REAL   ENGAGEMENT. 

A  T  length  the  mists  of  doubt  and  uncertainty 
^*  cleared  away,  revealing  the  path  of  right  and 
duty  for  me  to  tread,  though  I  felt  none  of  the 
assurance  Theo  possessed,  that  I  should  be  ac 
cepted  by  Ethel. 

Theo,  in  raptures  of  anticipation,  exclaimed, 
"•  I  can  hardly  wait  for  the  joyous  consummation. 
Delays  are  dangerous.  You  must  see  Ethel  this 
very  afternoon.  She  must  not  know,  certainly  at 
present,  that  I  have  ever  had  anything  but  a  sis 
ter's  love  for  you,  or  she  would  refuse  you  for  my 
sake,  which  would  be  a  disaster  all  round.  My 
hopes  of  a  satisfactory  life  depend  now  on 
realizing  the  happy  and  useful  home  you  and  she 
can  create,  together  with  what  I  may  be  able  to 
contribute.  I  will  go  at  once  and  take  her  place 
at  her  father's  bedside,  and  send  her  to  the  gar 
den,  where  she  may  enjoy  the  fragrant  air  and 
sunshine.  She  needs  them,  and  she  needs  you. 
There  is  an  arbor  there,  if  the  sun  is  too  hot  !  " 

There  was  a  pleased,  a  joyous  look  in  her 
sparkling  eyes,  as  she  raised  them  to  mine,  and 
then  Theo  Thornton  went  on  her  errand  of 

exalted  love. 
426 


A  REAL  ENGAGEMENT.  437 

I  took  my  hat  and  went  out,  not  knowing 
whither  I  went,  and  scarcely  knowing  whether  in 
the  body  or  out,  my  spirit  flitting,  now  into  the 
past  and  now  into  the  future,  leaving  my  body  to 
guide  itself  as  best  it  could,  with  little  more  than 
the  mechanism  of  animal  life.  I  walked  on  the 
front  piazza,  and  then  on  the  lawn,  and  finally 
gravitated  towards  a  little  grotto  leading,  unex 
pectedly,  through  a  covered  way,  to  the  flower- 
garden.  I  was  not  yet  fully  conscious  where  I 
was,  being  in  a  day-dream  or  visionary  mood,  lost 
to  everything  but  the  world  in  which  lived  Ethel 
and  Theo. 

I  came  to  myself  on  entering  the  grotto,  its 
stones,  its  mosses,  its  shells  and  ferns,  kept  cool 
from  the  slow  dripping  of  a  concealed  water  pipe, 
attracting  me  to  its  refreshing  shade  and  beauty. 
At  what  appeared  to  be  the  end  of  the  cavern, 
and  artfully  hidden  by  rock-work,  was  an  opening 
into  a  long  grape  arbor  ;  and  here  a  sight  met  my 
eyes,  which  made  me  feel  for  an  instant  that  I 
was  in  the  presence  of  a  supernatural  visitant  ; 
and  I  could  only  wonder  whether  Heaven  held 
anything  more  beautiful. 

At  the  other  end  of  the  grapery,  into  which  I  was 
looking,  where  a  golden  ray  of  sunlight  rested  on 
her  head  and  brow,  stood  Kthel  Blent  wood  in  a 
snow-white  dress,  with  one  arm  raised  above  her 
head  ;  the  sleeve,  made  for  comfort,  falling  back 
ancl  displaying  a  round,  white  arm  ;  her  graceful 
figure  framed  in  beautiful  contrast  with  the  sur 
rounding  green  ;  her  head  and  neck  splendidly 


42  8  SI1JPS  BY  DAY. 


poised  ;  the  resplendent  color  seeming  to  mount 
and  play  over  her  finely-cut  features,  as  if  de 
lighted  to  do  duty  there  ;  her  large,  lustrous  eyes 
raised,  and  her  ruby  lips  slightly  parted,  as  if  in 
prayer,  or  as  if  seeing  a  vision  which  surprised 
and  delighted  her ;  all  combining  to  make  a  pic 
ture  supremely  lovely — so  lovely  that  I  felt  like 
falling  at  her  feet  in  worship.  She  seemed  too 
angelic  to  be  of  this  world. 

"  Is  it  possible,"  I  queried,  "  that  she  can  love 
a  poor  mortal  like  me,  of  so  much  coarser  clay  ?  " 

It  staggered  belief,  and  I  felt  the  weight  of 
great  misgivings.  I  had  walked  so  softly  she  did 
not  hear  my  approach.  I  stood  irresolute  for  a 
moment,  whether  to  retreat  or  go  on  ;  but 
finally,  unable  to  control  myself  any  longer,  I 
stepped  heavily  to  call  her  attention  and  then 
exclaimed  : 

"O,  Miss  Blentwood  !  Stay  just  as  you  are — 
don't  stir,  please,  and  let  me  look  at  you  a  little 
nearer." 

Though  somewhat  startled  at  first,  she  obeyed, 
and  as  I  drew  near,  smilingly  asked,  in  her  effort 
to  conquer  her  blushes,  "  Was  I  statuesque  ?  " 

"You  must  let  me  bring  a  photographer  and 
have  you  taken  in  that  position,"  I  replied.  "  The 
picture  ought  to  be  permanently  preserved.  I 
should  value  it  so  much,  Miss  Blentwood." 

"  Why  do  you  call  me  Miss  Blentwood  ?  "  she 
asked  demurely.  "  I  thought  you  were  to  call 
me  Ethel." 

"You    looked    so    spiritual,  so    far  above   and 


A  REAL   ENGAGE.'\[EXT.  42o 

beyond  me,  I  could  not  feel  worthy  to  use  that 
familiar  title." 

"  I  cannot  think  you  would  seriously  banter  me 
in  just  this  way,"  she  said,  dropping  her  eyes 
more  perplexed  than  annoyed  ;  and  yet,  how  can 
you,  from  whom  I  have  learned  so  much  that  is 
noble  and  spiritually  uplifting,  feel  as  your  lan 
guage  inditates  ?  " 

"  Dear  Miss  Blentwood  ! — Miss  Ethel,  I  mean — 
you  have  no  idea  how  heavenly  you  looked.  I 
felt  like  John  on  the  isle  of  Patmos,  when  he  fell 
down  at  the  feet  of  his  angelic  guide  to  worship 
him.  And  this  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  felt  so 
in  your  presence,  though  never  so  much  as  now. 
Oh  !  if  I  were  higher,  nobler,  more  worthy — if  my 
spirit  shone  as  purely,  as  beautifully  through  all 
my  features  and  acts,  as  does  yours,  I  would  not 
only  dare  to  call  you  Ethel,  but  dear  Ethel,  and 
even  ask  you  to  be  my  Ethel — and — and — selfish 
and  bold  as  it  seems  in  me,  I  must  ask  it  any  way.'' 
Grasping  her  hands  impulsively,  and  looking  ear 
nestly  and  pleadingly  into  her  face,  I  added,  "  Can 
you — will  you  be  my  own  dear  Ethel?" 

I  waited,  the  spirit  of  compelling  love  pervading 
me,  and  speaking  more  powerfully  than  words. 
She  did  not  speak,  but  two  tears  gathered,  and  I 
asked,  "  Are  these  the  tears  of  pity  and  refusal  ?" 

I  felt  certain  that  a  nature  so  transparent  would 
speak  frankly  the  exact  truth  as  far  as  she  could 
interpret  it,  from  the  very  center  of  her  being. 
When  she  found  her  voice,  she  answered: 

"  They  are  only  tears  of  gratitude.     I  have  loved 


430  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


you  from  the  very  first,  and  love  has  only  been 
growing  deeper,  broader,  purer  ever  since ;  and 
now  it  seems  a  part  of  my  very  life,  inseparable 
from  it,  and  had  you  not  spoken,  how  could  I 
have  lived  ?  " 

"  Thank  God !  My  own,  precious,  darling 
wife  !  "  I  ejaculated,  stretching  out  my  arms  as 
she  came  to  the  heart  that  claimed  her.  "  I  had 
seen  you  with  my  mind's  eye,  and  known  and 
loved  you  before  we  ever  met,  and  this  is  only  the 
outward  acknowledgment  of  a  long,  long  love, 
which  was  yours  as  soon  as  I  first  saw  you. 
Counting  time  by  heart-throbs,  I  have  known  you 
years,  where  I  have  known  others  only  moments." 

That  there  was  music  in  our  hearts  and  on  our 
lips,  the  divinest  that  mortals  ever  hear,  need  not 
be  told  ;  for  our  love  was  real,  grounded  in  the 
spirit,  and  sustained  by  all  the  laws  of  perfect, 
mutual  affinity. 

The  new,  strange  thrill  of  heart  meeting  heart 
may  be  imagined,  but  not  described.  Suffice  it 
to  say,  we  were  as  blissfully  forgetful  of  the  world, 
and  as  luxuriously  grateful  and  content,  as  two 
mortals  could  well  be.  It  seemed  to  me  that  there 
could  not  be,  on  this  whole  earth,  so  perfect  and 
felicitous  a  union  of  head,  heart  and  soul,  as  was 
ours.  We  who  had  been  separate  and  incom 
plete,  because  wanting  each  other,  were  now  one 
in  thought,  purpose  and  feeling,  each  supplying 
and  completing,  in  the  other,  what  was  lacking  to 
a  full,  rounded-out,  human  entity.  May  not  such 
a  perfect,  complemental  union,  such  a  satisfying 


A  REAL  ENGAGEMENT. 


431 


sense  of  wholeness  as  we  enjoyed,  give  some  slight 
hint  of  the  united  qualities  in  the  and  personal 
ity  of  Jesus,  the  perfect  Man  !  In  Him  there  was 
no  lack.  All  His  faculties  and  powers  were  in 
perfect  proportion,  perfect  harmony,  perfect 
union. 

How  long1  we  stood,  or  when  \ve  sat  down  on  a 
rustic  seat  in  the  arbor,  I  know  not.  It  is  enough 
to  say  that  we  went  with  glowing  countenances 
and  happy  hearts  into  the  presence  of  her  father 
whom  1  now  looked  upon  as  my  father.  Theo 
had  that  moment  stepped  out  of  the  room,  design 
edly  I  think,  and  hand  in  hand  we  approached  his 
bedside.  lie  looked  up  inquiringly  into  first  one 
face  and  then  the  other,  and  then  a  bright  smile 
broke  over  his  face  like  a  wave  of  light. 

"You  need  not  say  a  word,"  he  said.  "I 
understand.  It  is  all  written  in  your  faces  ;  and 
may  the  light  kindled  there  never  lessen,  but 
rather  grow  brighter  and  brighter  as  long  as  you 
live !  " 

"It  is  all  right,  then,  is  it?  You  give  your  full 
consent,  Doctor  Blentwood  ?  " 

"  I  do  unreservedly.  I  cannot  leave  my  be 
loved  daughter  in  safer  and  more  trusted  hands. 
I  shall  now  die  content." 

A  great  sob  burst  from  Ethel's  heart  despite 
her  efforts  to  control  herself. 

"  I  should  be  so  happy,  father,"  she  said,  bow 
ing  her  head  on  his  face,  "  if  you  were  not  hurt  ! 

"  You  must  get  well,"  I  added,  "  and  live  with 
us.  What  a  happy  home  \ve  will  create  ! ' 


43 2  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  I  have  no  doubt  of  it,"  he  replied,  stroking 
Ethel's  head  tenderly,  and  with  moist  eyes,  "  and 
it  would  be  pleasant  to  spend  there  my  declining 
years  in  Christian-literary  work.  But  you  must 
neither  of  you  let  my  little  illness  interfere  with 
your  joys.  I  do  not  suffer,  and  am  getting  well 
fast,  and  shall  soon  have  perfect  health,  never 
again  to  be  impaired.  I  am  to  live  as  never 
before.  You  are  not  going  to  lose  me,  nor  I  you. 
A  few  days  of  separation,  and  we  come  together 
again." 

Placing  Ethel's  hand  in  mine,  and  pressing  them 
in  both  of  his,  he  added  : 

"  This  is  one  of  the  most  sacred  and  blessed 
moments  of  my  life ;  for  I  can  almost  see  my 
angel  wife  making  one  of  this  group,  joyfully  giv 
ing  her  consent,  and  saying  in  her  old  sweet  way, 
'  They  will  be  just  as  happy  as  we  have  been  ;  so 
you  have  nothing  to  hinder  you  from  coming  home 
to  me  and  Heaven.'  " 

Something  in  his  cheerful  mood  and  words  com 
forted  Ethel,  and  she  raised  her  head  and  looked 
upon  him,  and  then  upon  me,  with  a  sweetness 
which  seemed  seraphic.  Heaven  seemed  so  near 
to  her  father  that  he  murmured,  as  if  talking  to 
his  wife,  "  Not  quite  yet.  I  have  one  more 
duty."  Then  turning  to  me  he  said  : 

"  It  would  be  very  pleasant  to  me  to  see  you 
married  before  I  go.  I  can  then  leave  the  old 
home  unbroken  in  number,  and  with  its  ideal 
blessedness  preserved." 

"  It  would  be  a  source  of  great  satisfaction  all 


A  REAL  EXGAGKMr.XT  433 


my  life  to  remember  th.it  you  performed  that  cer 
emony  for  us,"  I  answered,  looking  to  Ethel  for 
her  consent. 

She  pressed  my  hand  gently,  and  bowing,  hid 
her  face  in  her  father's  neck,  and  amid  kisses  and 
little  sobs,  whispered  something  in  his  ear  \vhich 
caused  a  sympathetic  smile  to  ripple  over  his 
kindly  face,  as  he  said, — 

"  I  am  very,  very  thankful  that  I  can  leave  you 
so  happily  matched.  It  is  a  union,  I  believe, 
sanctioned  by  Heaven,  as  was  that  of  your  mother 
and  myself.  I  could  not  ask  anything  different. 
There  is  nothing  in  this  world  more  beautiful  than 
a  perfect  union.  When  shall  it  be  legally  con 
summated  ?  " 

"  Whenever  you  and  Ethel  shall  decide,"  I 
made  answer,  as  I  retired  into  another  room, 
leaving  them  to  consult  together. 

When  I  returned,  it  was  decided  that  it  was  not 
safe  to  delay  longer  than  necessary  for  the  prepar 
atory  steps  to  be  taken. 

Looking  at  my  watch,  I  remarked,  "  We  have 
time,  before  my  train  starts,  to  acquaint  Theo,  our 
kind  hostess,  with  the  news  of  the  day." 

"  Yes,"  the  doctor  interjected,  thoughtful  only 
of  others,  "go  with  him,  and  I  will  rest  awhile  ; 
but  first  humor  my  weakness,  if  you  call  it  such, 
by  each  taking  my  hand  and  joining  your  own. 
Mow  kiss  each  other  as  a  pledge  of  eternal  union. 
Now,  Ethel,  give  that  mutual  kiss  to  me.  It  will 
be  a  comfort  to  carry  the  remembrance  of  it  to 
Heaven  and  your  mother,  should  anything  happen 

28 


434  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


to  prevent  my  seeing  you  united  in  marriage. 
There  !  Now  go,  and  God  bless  you,  my  dear 
children.  I  cannot  hold  any  more  happiness  just 
now." 

Profoundly  grateful  for  his  cordial  assent  to 
our  union,  I  turned  as  we  were  leaving  his  room, 
and  waved  back  my  adieus  laden  with  emotions 
not  to  be  expressed  in  words.  He  signaled  an 
answering  joy,  and  looked,  as  his  words  indicated, 
a  very  happy  man,  to  be  envied  rather  than 
pitied. 

We  found  Theo  in  a  restless  state  of  expect 
ancy.  As  soon  as  she  saw  our  approach  through 
the  partially  opened  door,  she  flew  to  us  like  a 
bird,  embracing  us  enthusiastically  and  exclaim 
ing,  "  Do  tell  us  what  has  happened  !  You  both 
look  as  if  you  had  reached  the  seventh  heaven  of 
bliss !  Marvelous  transformation !  I  scarcely 
know  you  !  Your  faces  shine  as  Moses'  must 
have  done,  when  he  came  down  from  the  mount  ! 
O,  do  keep  on  looking  just  as  happy  always!  It 
glorifies  you  !  It  spiritualizes  you !  But  please 
don't  vanish  out  of  my  sight !  " 

She  danced  about  us  in  raptures  of  delight,  so 
unlike  her  quiet  self,  that  I  began  to  fear  the 
recent  strain  had  been  too  much  for  her.  She 
drew  us  into  the  room,  and,  seating  us  on  the 
sofa,  looked  at  each  of  us  alternately  with  eyes 
sparkling  and  cheeks  aglow  with  excitement,  as  if 
she  expected  a  "  a  feast  of  fat  things." 

"What  is  it?"  she  urged.  "I  must  know  all 
about  it,  you  know," 


A  REAL  ENGAGEMENT. 


435 


As  I  did  not  speak  immediately,  she  pressed 
Ethel's  head  close  and  lovingly  to  her  shoulder, 
and,  looking  down  into  her  eyes  steadily  for  a 
moment,  said  softly  : 

"  I  see  the  whole,  tell-tale  affair  in  these  beauti 
ful  soul-windows  of  yours,  unobscured  by  even  a 
curtain.  I  can  look  right  into  the  living  room, 
and  see  a  throne  erected,  and  love  on  the  throne. 
Me  has  conquered  your  two  kingdoms  and  made 
them  one,  and  that  is  why  the  signals  of  joy  are 
hung  out  so  plainly  on  your  faces.  I  pray  you, 
let  me  have  a  sister's  place  in  this  new  kingdom, 
or  I  shall  be  lonely  indeed." 

"  We  cannot  reign  satisfactorily  without  you," 
I  said,  and  Ethel  added  : 

"You  have  been  an  angel  of  goodness  to  me 
ever  since  I  have  known  you,  and  to  sustain  such 
a  relation  to  you,  in  reality  and  not  in  name 
merely,  will  be  a  source  of  great  comfort  and 
satisfaction  to  me.  I  need  just  such  a  dear  sister 
as  you  can  be  ;  and  I  want  you  to  be  a  sister  to 
Elbert,  too." 

"  O,  you  precious,  darling  Ethel!  What  a  dear 
prize  you  arc!"  Theo  burst  out,  clasping  and 
kissing  her  passionately. 

They  remained  for  some  time  locked  in  each 
other's  embrace,  mingling  their  tears  of  mutual 
joy  and  sympathy,  when  I  remarked  dolefully: 

"  I  seem  to  be  left  out  of  all  this  good  fellow 
ship  !  " 

They  both  laughed,  and  Theo  asked  Ethel, 
"  Shall  I  kiss  my  new  brother  ?  " 


436  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


"  Nothing  would  please  me  more,  unless — unless 
it  would  be  to  kiss  him  myself  also,"  and  Ethel 
hid  her  blushes  in  Theo's  lap. 

Something  approaching  a  gentle  little  frolic 
followed,  which  was  a  necessary  relaxation  of  our 
overstrained  nerves,  and  helped  prepare  us  for  the 
ordeal  throught  which  we  were  so  soon  to  pass. 
It  was  mutually  agreed  and  pledged,  that  Theo 
should  regard  herself,  and  be  ever  loved,  esteemed, 
and  confided  in,  by  us,  as  a  sister  tried  and  true. 


CHAPTER  XLVII. 

PREPARATORY. 

'"THE  next  train  found  me  whirling  towards 
Graynoble,  where  I  had  first  met  Ethel. 
Thede  drove  me  to  the  station,  and  on  the  way  I 
explained  to  him  the  situation  of  affairs,  as  best  I 
could.  lie  was  disappointed,  but  somewhat  rec 
onciled  when  he  learned  that  the  new  arrange 
ment  was  Theo's  wish,  and  that  the  happiness 
and  usefulness  of  all  concerned  would  be  subserved 
by  it. 

Arriving  at  Graynoble,  I  found  Tom  suffering 
from  a  slight  attack  of  pneumonia,  and  he  and 
Tot  overwhelmed  me  with  protestations  of 
pleasure  at  seeing  me,  and  with  earnest  questions 
about  Dr.  Blentwood  and  Ethel.  Since  I  had 
come  from  under  "  de  holy  shadow  ob  de  Blent- 
woods,"  Tom  wished  me  to  pray  with  him. 

"  It  may  please  de  great  Oberseer,"  he  said, 
with  tears  of  joy  glistening  on  his  glad  face,  "  dat 
I  climb  de  golden  stair  jes,  when  good  massa 
Blentwood  do,  so  I  kin  hep  him  all  de  way  up  to 
glory.  lie  be  so  use  to  me  1  kinsarve  him  better 
den  any  udder  spirit,  and  if  de  soul  ob  my  ole 
fiddle  go  wid  me,  I  knows  jes  what  ter  play  for  to 

437 


438  S///PS  BY  DAY. 


chirrup  him  up  on  de  long  journey.  An' — an'  if 
he  wanster  rest  on  one  ob  dem  steps,  and  take 
anudder'  look  down  hyyah  at  you  and  Ethel,  I 
knows  jes  how  ter  hole  'im,  for  dese  hands  hab 
done  it  when  he  had  de  newrollogy  and  spinal 
megintis.  Please  tell  de  Lord  'bout  dis,  an'  ax 
Him  ef  I  mount  be  foun'  worthy  to  go  vvid  'im. 
'Twould  happify  my  soul  bery  much." 

I  complied  with  his  request,  and  read  to  him 
some  comforting  passages  of  Scripture,  though 
neither  I,  nor  Dr.  Lightheart,  whom  I  consulted, 
considered  him  critically  ill  at  that  time.  As  I 
shook  hands  with  him,  and  bade  him  good-bye, 
he  said : 

"De  prophetic  vision  am  now  sure  to  come  to 
pass.  Please  tell  Miss  Ethel  Ize  gwine  to  take 
keer  ob  her  father,  and  so  she  needn't  worry  'bout 
him." 

I  had  only  time,  as  I  supposed,  to  catch  the 
train,  and  so  hurried  away,  examining  my  note 
book  and  pockets,  as  I  went,  to  make  sure  that  I 
had  done  all  my  errands  ;  but  when  seated  in  the 
car  I  began  to  wonder  what  Tom  meant  by  "pro 
phetic  vision."  After  long  and  persistent  retro 
spect  I  recalled  the  fact  that  on  my  first  walk 
with  the  family  at  Dr.  Blentwood's,  Tom,  whom 
we  met,  had  hinted  of  a  vision,  which  I  might 
know  would  come  to  pass  if  I  prayed  at  his  dying 
bedside.  "  Tom  evidently  thinks  he  is  going  to 
die,"  I  mused,  "  and  so  wishes  me  to  understand 
that  his  vision  of  my  bright  future  is  to  be  real 
ized."  Did  he  mean  witJi  Ethel  ?  The  more  I 


439 

recalled  his  language,  the  more  I  was  satisfied 
that  that  was  what  he  meant.  It  did  not  seem 
at  all  probable  that  I  had  come  from  Tom's  death 
bed,  and  so  I  dismissed  the  subject. 

Seeing  Miss  Elison  through  the  car  window,  I 
went  out  and  learned  that  she  had  become  Mrs. 
Stockmire  the  day  previous.  She  expressed  great 
regret  that  Dr.  Blentwootl,  or  myself,  or  both  of 
us,  as  was  her  wish,  could  not  have  officiated  at 
her  wedding. 

"  Poor  girl,"  I  thought,  "she  will  soon  regret 
she  ever  married  at  all,"  and  this  feeling  was 
confirmed  as  I  caught  a  malicious  glance  from 
Stockmire,  who  had  been  watching  us,  and  at 
that  moment  turned  towards  the  ticket-office, 
and  pretended  not  to  see  me.  That  look  was  a 
revelation.  In  an  unguarded  moment  the  hard, 
cold,  hideous  selfishness  of  the  man  had  come- 
to  the  surface,  and  his  hating,  revengeful  spirit 
stood  bare  before  me.  His  resumption  of  the 
soft  veil  of  hypocrisy  would  now  be  of  no  avail 
to  blind  me,  since  I  had  seen  the  guilt  in  his  heart 
reddening  forth  like  the  miraculous  blood-stain  of 
a  murder. 

The  thought  of  what  that  man  might  do,  in  an 
evil  hour  of  temptation,  made  me  shudder.  And 
yet,  a  man  like  Stockmire.  living  in  externals, 
seldom  or  never  looking  within,  doubtless  took 
no  note  in  his  daily  life  of  his  ability  to  do  evil, 
so  effectually  covered  and  polished  over,  as  it 
was,  by  ornamental  disguises  and  ostentatious 
humility. 


440  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


On  my  journey  back  to  the  Thornton  home, 
which  contained  what  was  most  dear  to  me  in 
life,  I  was  tortured  by  the  fear  that  some  un 
toward  event  might  occur  to  cut  off  the  prize 
apparently  so  near  at  hand.  It  seemed  too  great 
and  too  good  to  be  mine.  My  anticipations  also 
were  tempered  and  shadowed 'by  the  certain  de 
mise  of  Ethel's  father,  both  because  he  was  her 
father,  and  because  he  was  a  man  after  my  own 
heart.  "  How  can  I  fill  the  place  of  so  grand  a 
man,  and  relieve  her  from  a  life-long  sadness  ?  " 
I  asked  myself  over  and  over.  O,  how  I  prayed 
that  his  nobility  of  mind,  heart,  and  disposition 
might  be  mine  ! 

The  train  did  not  move  half  fast  enough,  but 
as  all  things  m'ust  come  to  an  end,  I  alighted  at 
last  at  the  desired  station,  and,  to  my  surprise 
and  great  satisfaction,  found  Thede  in  waiting. 

He  did  not  much  expect  me,  he  said,  but  Theo 
had  insisted  on  his  coming,  and  somehow  he  had 
fallen  into  the  habit  of  obeying  her,  as  she  had 
a  "  knack  of  being  pretty  generally  right." 

Ethel  was  the  first  to  greet  me,  telling  me  with 
tears  how  her  father  had  failed,  and  how  she  had 
longed  for  my  return,  and  how  thoughtful  and 
self-sacrificing  Theo  had  been  ;  and  then  stopping 
suddenly,  and  looking  earnestly  in  my  face,  added 
pathetically : 

"  Do  you  know,  Theo  watched  for  you,  and 
when  she  saw  you  and  Thede  far  off,  she  hurried 
to  me,  and,  taking  my  place,  made  me  leave  the 
sick  room,  that  I  might  be  the  first  to  greet  you, 


PREPARATORY.  44  r 

though  the  dear  girl  was  almost  as  impatient  as  I 
myself!  Isn't  she  lovely?  And  aren't  we  for 
tunate  in  having  such  a  friend,  such  a  sister? 
Her  frequent  companionship  will  be  so  delight 
ful  !  She  will  help  me  make  home  pleasant  for 
you.  Oh  !  we  must  have  a  home  just  as  near 
heaven  as  we  can  make  it,  for  dear  father's  sake, 
for  your  sake  and  for  everybody's  sake,  and  that 
means  for  the  Master's  sake." 

"  Yes,  darling,"  I  answered,  clasping  her  in  my 
arms  ;  "  but  it  will  be  heaven  wherever  you  are  ; 
for,  with  my  love  for  you  there  is  always  blended 
something  above  the  human,  something  divine, 
an  uplifting  gratitude  to  the  Master,  which  is  an 
inspiration.  1  am  so  grateful  for  you  I  am  filled 
with  worship.  We  will  make  home-life  a  study, 
a  loved  science,  the  noblest  art. 

"  Without  you,"  she  replied,  "how  could  I  bear 
up  under  the  dreadful  thought  of  separation  from 
my  dear,  dear  father  !  He  says  he  shall  go  away 
without  an  anxious  thought  for  me,  so  confident 
is  he  that  you  will  more  than  fill  his  place.  1 1  is 
restful  faith  in  you,  and  trustful  reliance  on  you, 
help  me  bear  the  thought  of  his  loss." 

"  And  it  pledges  me,"  I  affirmed,  drawing  her 
closer  to  me,  "most  sacredly  and  irrevocably  to  a 
life-long  endeavor  to  do,  and  to  be,  all  that  he 
believes  me,  and  what  the  Master  would  have  me; 
but,  dearest,  remember  that  I  am  very  faulty,  and 
do  not  expect  me  to  fill  your  ideal,  until  you  have 
patiently  taught  me." 

Holding  up  a  finger  of  warning,  she  darted  off, 


442  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


saying,  "  Sister  Theo  must  now  have  the  pleasure 
of  seeing  you,  and  directing  your  supper." 

She  had  scarcely  gone,  when  Theo  came  trip 
ping  softly  through  the  open  door,  and  greeted 
me  as  a  sister  should,  in  accordance  with  our 
tripartite  agreement  ;  and,  escorting  me  to  the 
dining-room,  she  presided  at  the  table  as  cheer 
ful  and  happy  as  thoughts  of  the  near  disso 
lution  of  Dr.  Blentwood  would  allow. 

I  found  the  latter  considerably  changed  during 
my  absence,  but  still  bright,  and  much  gratified 
to  see  me  safely  returned.  As  he  was  stronger  in 
the  morning,  it  was  thought  best  to  defer  the  in 
tended  ceremony  till  the  next  day. 

That  night,  as  I  was  sitting  up  with  the  doctor, 
the  others  having  just  retired,  a  telegram  came  to 
me  in  care  of  Theodore  Thornton  from  Charley 
Lightheart,  stating  that  he  had  been  promoted, 
and  would  be  ready  for  my  services  to-morrow 
morning. 

"  That  means  a  wedding,"  I  said  to  Thede,  who 
brought  the  telegram,,  "  He  is  probably  on  the 
night  Pullman,  and  is  proving  what  he  said  about 
marriage  following  promotion  was  not  all  a  joke." 

"  That  is  the  funniest  fellow  I  ever  saw,"  said 
Thede, — "  full  of  it,  boiling  over  with  it,  but  an 
upright,  downright,  and  all-through,  royal  good  fel 
low,  and  I  hope  he  will  find  in  Carrie  Horton  the 
wife  he  deserves.  The  medical  fraternity  could 
not  get  much  practice  where  he  is.  I  almost 
think  even  Theo  might  get  well  in  the  constant 
sunshine  of  his  hopeful,  fun-loving  disposition. 


PREPARA  TORY. 


Next  to  you  I  would  like  him  for  a  brother-in- 
la\v.  But  something  has  worked  a  miracle  in  Then, 
and  I  laid  the  improvement  to  you.  I  don't 
quite  understand  her.  I  know  she  loved  you, 
and  yet  she  seems  to  take  as  much  interest 
in  your  approaching  marriage  to  Miss  Blunt- 
wood,  as  if  it  were  her  own  wedding.  What  does 
it  mean,  friend  Bloomfield?" 

"  It  means,'  I  replied,  taking  Thede's  hand 
warmly.  "  that  your  sister  is  a  wise  and  thorough 
ly  unselfish  girl,  taking  infinitely  more  delight  in 
making  others  happy  than  in  any  thought  of  good 
which  might  accrue  to  herself.  She  is  a  practical 
illustration  of  the  joys  of  self-sacrifice  made  for 
the  noblest  ends.  Ethel  and  I  are  very  happy 
in  each  other,  so  much  so  we  cannot  conceive  how 
we  could  be  happier,  and  yet  I  believe  Thuo's 
joy  is  even  keener  and  more  glorious  in  the 
sight  of  Heaven  than  ours.  I  look  upon 
her  sometimes  almost  with  envy  for  the  divine 
quality,  which  glows  and  glistens  through  all 
her  acts  of  self-renunciation.  I  know  she  is 
more  delighted  and  more  thankful  in  what 
she  has  done  to  bring  Ethel  and  me  together, 
than  she  ever  was  in  the  thought  of  marrying 
me;  and  so  I  feel  1  am  only  carrying  out  her 
wishes.  She  knew  I  loved  Ethel  before  Ethel 
knew  it,  and  it  was  her  woman's  intuition  that 
discovered  Ethel's  love  for  me.  She  feels  that  it 
would  be  wickedly  contending  against  the  divine 
plan  to  hinder  in  the  least,  or  even  fail  to  help  on, 
my  marriage  with  Ethel.  She  believes  in  it  with 


444  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


all  her  heart.  In  fact,  her  happiness,  as  our  friend, 
is  bound  up  in  it. 

"  I  need  not  say  how  high  Theo  stands  in  my 
esteem.  I  admire  and  love  her  greatly  as  a  sister, 
and  so  does  Ethel,  and  we  hope  for  the  closest 
friendship  with  her  and  yourself  through  life. 
We  owe  much  to  you  both,  and  as  she  is  to  let  us 
regard  her  as  a  sister,  will  not  you  be  to  us  a 
brother?  The  ties  of  a  common  friendship  are 
not  sufficient  ;  we  crave  a  closer  relation,  that  we 
may  share  with  you  the  esteem,  the  trust,  the 
confidence,  the  freedom  of  a  family  united  in  the 
strongest  bonds  of  attachment." 

He  was  visibly  moved.  His  big  hand  closed 
about  mine  with  a  grip  which  made  my  hand  ache, 
and  with  that  he  left  me  alone. 

This  conversation  had  been  carried  on  almost 
in  a  whisper  in  the  room  off  from  the  sick  cham 
ber,  and  as  soon  as  left  to  myself,  I  carefully 
looked  in  on  the  patient,  when  he  opened  his  eyes. 
He  beckoned  to  me,  and,  as  I  went  to  his  bed 
side,  he  said  : 

"  Heaven  is  beginning  to  open  to  me,  and 
I  am  so  thankful  for  this  and  for  the  sweet  satis 
faction  I  have  in  the  thought  that  Ethel's  future 
is  safe  in  your  hands,  that  I  cannot  sleep  for  very 
joy.  I  know  not  how  to  express  my  gratitude 
in  words,  and  need  your  help.  Will  you  not 
offer  thanks  for  me  ?  " 

I  slowly  took  his  hand  in  both  of  mine,  and, 
with  a  silent  petition  that  I  might  meet  his  wants, 
I  knelt  by  his  side  and  poured  out  my  heart  to 


PRF.PARA  TORY. 


445 


Him,  who  can  hear  with  answering  grace  when  all 
earthly  helps  and  sympathies  fail.  Though  grieved 
to  lose  the  father  of  my  espoused  wife,  I  caught 
something  of  his  gratitude  that  the  way  from 
earth  to  Heaven  was  made  for  him  so  smooth  and 
bright.  When  I  arose,  the  good  man  pressed  my 
hand  and  said  : 

"  You  have  told  the  Lord  just  what  I  wanted 
to  tell  Him,  and  now,  with  my  feelings  so  ade 
quately  expressed.  I  think  I  can  sleep.  I  thank 
you." 

lie  closed  his  eyes,  and  I  retired  to  the  adjoin 
ing  room  to  think,  and  1  thought  deeper  into  life 
that  night  than  ever  before,  and  when  morning 
came,  much  of  earthly  dross  had  passed  from  me, 
forever.  Henceforth  Heaven  sceemed  nearer, 
clearer,  dearer,  as  a  real,  actual  advanced  condi 
tion,  and  the  opportunities  of  life  more  valuable 
as  means  to  an  end. 

In  the  early  hours  of  the  morning,  before  any 
one  else  was  stirring,  Ethel  came  and  insisted 
that  I  take  some  sleep.  She  wished  also  to  be 
alone  with  her  father  awhile  ;  and  as  the  nuptial 
hour  was  fast  approaching,  when  she  would  be 
come  a  wife  as  well  as  daughter,  I  felt  rather 
than  reasoned  out,  the  appropriateness  and  beauty 
of  her  wish.  She  was  about  to  take  the  most 
momentous  step  in  life  ;  and,  as  her  father, 
until  within  a  few  short  weeks,  had  absorbed  al\ 
her  love  and  confidence,  her  act  was  a  thoughtful 
consideration,  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  abso 
lute  trust  which  had  been  mutual  between  them, 


446  SHIPS  BY  DA  Y. 


especially  since  the  death  of  the  mother,  which 
threw  upon  him  the  tender  watchfulness  and  care 
inhering  in  both  parental  offices. 

But  why  should  not  every  father  be  as  tenderly 
sympathetic,  and  delicately  appreciative,  towards 
his  children  as  the  mother?  And  why  should  not 
a  daughter,  or  son,  be  as  free  to  confer  with  one 
parent  as  with  the  other  ?  The  frivolous  and 
shallow-brained  have  marred  society  and  retarded 
human  progress  too  long.  It  is  time  that  a  deep 
er,  broader,  holier  view  of  the  sacred  obligations 
involved  in  all  the  relations  of  life,  pertaining  to 
human  welfare,  should  prevail. 

These  reflections,  however,  are  the  result  of 
years  of  study,  and  not  those  occupying  my  mind 
on  that  supposed  last  morning  of  single  blessed 
ness.  What  were  then  my  thoughts  and  feelings 
may,  perhaps,  be  better  imagined  than  described. 
My  increasing  veneration  and  love  for  Dr.  Blent- 
wood,  the  transcendent  delicacy  and  tenderness 
of  father  and  daughter  in  their  attitude  towards 
each  other,  my  desire  to  minister  to  them  both 
in  all  possible  ways,  together  with  questions  of 
future  happiness  and  usefulness  with  Ethel  as  the 
mistress  of  my  home  and  my  companion  through 
life,  were  among  the  thoughts  which  kept  me 
awake,  and  even  invaded  my  dreams,  when  I  at 
last  fell  asleep  on  that  eventful  morn — a  morn 
which  was  to  settle  the  destiny  of  at  least  two 
loving  hearts  for  time,  and,  perhaps,  in  some  re 
spects,  for  eternity — who  knows  ? 


CHAPTER   XLVIII. 

WEDDINGS   AND    REUNIONS. 

(CHARLEY  Lighthcart  and  Carrie  Horton 
^-^  arrived  about  eight  A.M.,  and  insisted  on  my 
marrying  them  at  once.  "  Dear  old  chum," 
Charley  exclaimed,  unable  wholly  to  suppress  his 
quaint  love  of  fun,  "  I  am  to  be  metamorphosed, 
transmogrified  into  a  staid  old  married  man,  and 
the  transformation  must  be  associated  with  you." 

"  I  don't  think,"  said  Theo,  "  that  you  will  lose 
your  identity  easily.  I  hope,  at  least,  your  effer 
vescent  spirits  will  stand  the  test  of  time  and 
change  ;  for  society,  and  especially  we  invalids, 
need  persons  like  you  to  drive  off  the  blues. 
You  are  better  than  medicine,  Mr.  Lightheart. 
If  you  were  only  a  physician,  you  could  prescribe 
bread  pills  and  cure  your  patients  by  means  of 
social  visits." 

"  I  thank  you,"  Charlie  responded,  bowing  low, 
"  Your  suggestion  is  a  revelation  of  a  possible 
new  profession,  which  I  may  adopt,  if  I  lose  my 
position  on  the  editorial  staff." 

At  this  juncture  Dr.  Lightheart  was  announced, 
and,  as  Dr.  Hlentwood  was  asleep,  he  came  into 
the  long  parlor,  and  in  his  presence  and  that  of 

447 


448  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


the  household,  I  united  in  holy  wedlock  my 
friend  Charley  Lightheart  and  Carrie  Horton. 
Charley  had  secured  seats  in  the  next  Pullman 
train  for  New  York,  and  so,  scarcely  touching 
coffee  and  cake,  which  Theo,  in  her  usual  thought- 
fulness  for  everybody,  had  provided,  they  de 
parted,  full  of  hope  and  bright  anticipations, 
leaving  us  with  our  immediate  future  clouded  by 
thoughts  of  bereavement  and  mourning. 

Dr.  Blentwood  awoke  at  ten  o'clock,  and  was 
ministered  unto  by  Dr.  Lightheart,  when,  bol 
stered  up  in  bed,  he  received  Ethel  and  me  with 
a  smile  of  satisfaction,  as  we  went  arm  in  arm  to 
his  bedside. 

The  marriage  ceremony  was  unique.  I  have 
often  said  it  would  be  worth  a  year's  labor,  could 
I  recall,  word  for  word,  all  that  dropped  from  his 
lips,  so  entirely  new  and  helpful  were  his  ideas, 
(ailing  sweet  and  sacred,  and  with  healing  balm 
on  our  waiting,  sorrowing  hearts.  He  seemed  to 
stand,  and  as  the  sequel  proved,  did  actually  stand, 
at  the  open  door  of  Heaven,  and  was  as  much  in 
spired  as  any  prophet  old  or  new  ;  and  when  he 
had  finished,  without  premeditation,  we  instinct 
ively  knelt  and  received  from  him,  with  his  hands 
on  our  bowed  heads,  a  fervent  "  God  bless  you, 
my  dear  children." 

His  countenance  was  so  radiant  with  spiritual 
light,  he  seemed  like  one  talking  to  us  from  the 
very  gate  of  glory,  and  to  come  down  to  earth 
only  when  he  placed  his  signature  to  our  marriage 
certificate.  Then  followed  another  scene,  at  the 


WEDDIXGS  AXD  KKl'XIOXS.  449 


very  thought  of  which,  tears  unbidden  blind  my 
eyes,  so  that  I  can  scarcely  see  to  write — tears, 
however,  not  of  vain  regret,  or  unillumined 
sorrow,  not  even  of  sorrow  of  any  kind,  but  on 
account  of  the  very  sublimity  of  what  occurred, 
so  full  of  the  realities  of  the  unseen  world. 

He  spoke  of  his  near  departure,  as  if  he  was 
only  to  move  from  one  good  room  into  a  better 
one,  and  a  little  in  advance  of  us — that  was  all. 
"  She  is  waiting  for  me,"  he  said,  pointing  up 
wards,  "  and  iv c  will  wait  for  you.  What  differ 
ence  who  goes  first,  since  all  must  go  ?  Time 
passes  quickly  even  with  the  longest  life.  I  have 
finished  my  course,  and  now  have  nothing  really 
to  detain  me.  School  is  out.  I  leave  you  happy 
in  each  other's  love  to  complete  your  earthly 
schooling,  and  I  have  no  anxiety  for  your  future. 
A  few  more  days  of  study  and  toil,  of  joy  and 
perhaps  of  sorrow,  and  then  we  shall  all  be  to 
gether  again.  It  is  as  certain  as  that  we  are 
together  now.  I  begin  to  know.'  Faith  is  chang 
ing  to  sight.  This  ceiling  is  not  real.  It  lifts. 
It  dissolves.  I  see  through  it.  It  is  all  open 
above  me.  There  are  flittings  of  angels'  wings. 
They  are  hovering  round.  They  have  come  to 
take  me  from  this  fleshly  prison.  Oh,  what  ex 
panding  freedom  !  Listen  !  What  strains  of  en 
trancing  melody!  It  comes  nearer.  It  is  a 
welcome.  Life  and  Heaven!  Oh,  how  beauti 
ful  !  Yes,  dear  wife,  I  am  coming.  Glorious  ! 
glorious  ! — glo — rious  ! ' 

The  last  word  was  a  whisper.     His  eyes  became 
29 


45°  SHIPS  BY  DAY. 


fixed  heavenward,  and,  with  one  finger  pointing 
up,  he  passed  away,  leaving  a  smile  behind,  as  a 
farewell  benediction. 

"  He  is  with  mother  now,"  Ethel  whispered,  a 
gleam  of  comfort  lighting  up  her  tearful  face. 

"  And  what  a  blissful  reunion  is  theirs ! "  I 
answered,  "  I  thank  God  I  have  known  Dr.  Blent- 
wood.  His  memory  will  be  a  sweet  and  helpful 
presence  as  long  as  I  live." 

Ethel  looked  to  me  gratefully,  and  as  she 
bowed  her  head  on  my  shoulder,  as  if  to  say, 
"  I  have  only  you  to  cling  to  now,"  I  whispered, 
"  We  have  each  other,  and  my  whole  heart  is 
yours,  Ethel,  and  let  us  thank  God  for  this  revel 
ation  we  have  witnessed,  proving  that  your  father, 
and  my  father  also  henceforth,  still  lives  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  blissful  immortality,  there  to 
await  and  welcome  us,  when  we  have  finished  our 
course,  as  he  has  finished  his." 

Theo,  with  the  peaceful  smile  of  one  who  had 
seen  a  vision,  came  up  and  kissing  us  both,  said 
simply,  but  joyfully,  "  He  is  not  dead." 

All  this  time  Dr.  Lightheart  stood  gazing  at 
the  silent  form  as  if  he  would  look  through  him 
into  eternity,  and,  at  last  exclaimed,  as  he  turned 
away,  "  Would  to  God  I  had  that  man's  experi 
ence  ! " 

I  dwell  a  little  on  this  scene,  for  I  value  the 
memory  of  it  beyond  all  price,  because  it  is  an 
ever  vivid  proof  of  immediate  blessedness,  not 
only  after,  but  at  death,  of  a  soul  that  has 
developed  spiritually,  and  come  up  into  harmony 


WEDDINGS  AA'D  REUNION'S. 


45' 


with  the  higher  life.  I  do  not  mean  to  say  that 
every  such  soul  will  exhibit  at  death  so  manifest 
a  revelation,  but  that  the  spirit-land  cannot  be 
wholly  hid  from  the  spiritually  minded,  whether 
making  it  known  to  others  or  not. 

\Yc  had  not  expected  Dr.  Blcntwood  would 
leave  us  so  soon,  and  his  sudden  demise  was  a 
great  surprise  to  us  ;  and  yet  his  going  was  so 
divinely  illumined,  we  did  not  seem  to  stand  in  the 
presence  of  death.  There  was  nothing  forbidding 
about  it.  We  could  not  feel  that  he  had  really 
gone  far — that  we  had  in  any  true  sense  lost  him. 
He  was  still  Ethel's  father  and  mine,  only  just 
now  invisible  to  us — that  was  all.  Sometimes, 
even  to  this  clay,  Ethel  and  I,  when  sitting  to 
gether,  become  conscious  of  his  presence,  and 
speak  of  it.  If  it  be  imagination,  it  is  God-given 
imagination,  and  a  great  comfort  to  us.  Whether 
he  comes  in  any  other  sense  than  through 
memory  or  not,  we  know  that  he  LIVKS. 


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